Star Wars Rebels: Family Ties
by Superherotiger
Summary: Kanan can sense someone from his past... someone very important to him, and he will stop at nothing to find her and protect her. But who is she? Read to find out!
1. Someone Familiar

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Star wars rebels. All rights go to their rightful owners.**

Kanan's POV

* * *

Darkness surround me…where was I?

"You will tell me where the shrine is," a voice said.

"Make me Imperial scum!" a female voice replied aggressively.

A dim light started to appear and I could feel a cold, metal floor. I was on my knees and looked up to see a small Imperial cell. There were two figures standing in front of me. The light became brighter and I could see a female with white clothes and dark hair chained down on an interrogation table.

"Oh we will, trust me," said the first voice. I didn't need to see him to know it was the Inquisitor. The prisoner struggled in her chains and spat on the Inquisitor. Something about this stranger seemed familiar… who was it? "You will try. Doesn't mean you'll succeed," she said sarcastically, a grin appearing on her face.

"Kanan!" a voice yelled in the distance.

The Inquisitor motioned his hand toward her and two mechanical arms came around the side of the table. "Let's squeeze some of that will out of you," he said coldly. The stranger clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, just waiting for some kind of pain. "Caleb…" she whispered under her breathe. "Caleb please…" she whined silently. I was frozen. I hadn't heard that name for years…

Electricity jumped from the robotic arms to her as she tried her best not to react. She groaned and whined as the pain was becoming unbearable. She opened her eyes, revealing large brown eyes full of pain and sorrow but… hope. And those eyes were starring right at me…

"Kanan!" said a familiar voice. I clenched my eyes shut as voices began to appear, shouting at me. I held my head and there was silence for a moment, followed by a desperate voice saying "Please Caleb… help…" I opened my eyes in shock to see I was back on the Ghost, Ezra in front of me with concern in his eyes. "Kanan, are you okay?!" He asked, slightly paranoid. "What? Yeah… I'm fine. Why would you ask?" My padawan looked at me curiously. "You tell me. We were training and all of a sudden you just…collapsed." I stood up, still a bit dazed. "I'm fine. Training is cancelled," I said as I walked out of the common room and towards my cabin. I needed to clear my mind…

I walked into my cabin and locked the door._ Could it really be?_ I sat on my bed and closed my eyes, trying to walk through what had happened. I heard a high pitched echo coming from my bed. The force was trying to tell me something. I opened my eyes and felt for the secret compartment in my bed and opened it. In there lay my holocron, a few old holodiscs and… the family neckless. I gently picked up the neckless, still in top condition. It was a beautiful white gem carved into the shape of a curved water droplet, hanging off a chain of small metal beads. Of course it was only half of it… the other half was given to…

I pulled the neckless up to my heart. Echoes of my childhood still hung fresh around the beautiful jewellery._ Could it really be her?_ I asked myself. If it was, I needed to find her! It may be my only chance. I pulled the chain over my head and concentrated. She needed me, and I had to be there for her. That's what big brothers are for, right?

* * *

**So what did you guys think? I'm still new to this so don't judge to harshly :D I love star wars rebels and this has always been a fan fic I wanted to write! Please talk politely on the reviews. Criticism is fine. Thank you all!**

**-Superherotiger**


	2. The Rescue

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Star Wars Rebels. The only character I own is Ash Dume (AKA Kanan's sister). All character rights go to their proper owners.**

* * *

Ezra's POV

* * *

At first I was happy to hear that Kanan wanted to speak to us all in the cock pit. Then I started to worry because he had been acting strange for a whole week now. It all started when he passed out in training, now he hardly leaves his room and he doesn't seem to be eating. When any of us do see him or ask him something he ignores us and hides in his room. I'm worried for my master.

We were all waiting in the cock pit for Kanan when the door slid open, revealing my tired, unhappy master. He looked at us all and we stared back. "Okay, I know I haven't been acting normally lately…" he started.

"Ya think? You haven't eaten or talked to us for a week. Plan to tell us what's going on?" Sabine asked aggressively.

He groaned and said with a short temper "Let me finish! I've been having visions of… someone. She is very important to me and she is being held captive and put under interrogation by the Empire. I need you guys to help me save her."

"Who?" Hera asked.

Kanan tensed slightly. He walked over to Hera and whispered something into her ear. She had a shocked look on her face and then she yelled "You have a sister?!" Kanan let out a sigh of annoyance as everyone else gasped. "You what?!" Zeb asked, equally confused. Kanan looked at all of us "Ah! This is why I didn't want you all to find out!" Hera started to calm everyone down.

Sabine spun in her chair "So how do we know your visions are even correct?"

"I know where she is Sabine! She is being transported somewhere and the ship she is on is only a lone star destroyer. I'm not asking for all of you to understand I'm asking for all of you to help me… please." That last part sounded desperate. I stood up "I'm in." Kanan gave me a nod of gratitude. Hera stepped forward "Me too." Sabine begrudgingly said "Fine. I'm in." "I don't really have a choice do I?" signed Zeb. "Thank you all," Kanan said.

"So why didn't you tell us sooner?" Hera asked.

He turned his head towards Hera and replied "Because visions are tricky things. I didn't know for certain so I've been meditating all week trying to get as many details as possible. The ship will be leaving soon, we need to intercept it." She smiled "Okay. Come help me get the coordinates." He nodded and he looked towards all of us. "Go prep for an op everyone." I turned to head to my cabin but not before something glinted in the corner of my eye. "What's that?" I asked Kanan, looking at the neckless hanging off his neck. He looked at the gem and replied "Nothing. Go get ready." I nodded and left the cockpit. I knew there was some kind of importance to it but he didn't seem in the right mood to ask. I ran the mission through my head again as it all happened so quickly: 'Intercept the destroyer, save Kanan's sister, don't die…' wait…sister?!

* * *

We had just boarded the star destroyer but I still couldn't get my head wrapped around the fact Kanan had a sister! Hera and Chopper stayed in the Ghost and Zeb and Sabine were off making a distraction. Meanwhile, Kanan and I ran down the many halls of the ship until we made it to the prisoner cells. He slowed down and closed his eyes. We kept walking as he held his hand out toward the many doors. Finally he stopped at one. "Here," he said. He clicked the control panel and the door opened. We walked in and I was mortified.

There on an interrogation table, like the one that Kanan was on not too long ago, stood a girl. She had long black hair with a fringe that covered her right eye. She was wearing a white suit but it was stained red across her arms, legs, stomach and there was a particularly deep cut across her left cheek. I was frozen, but Kanan kept moving forward. He stopped when he was right in front of her and lifted a shaky hand up to her head. He gently lifted her chin up and looked at her through watery eyes. I walked over to the control panel where I assume were the controls for torturing the prisoner. There was a screen and on it had a record of all her vital systems. In the corner was a button that said 'Prisoner profile.' I pressed it and a robotic voice said "Prison #26580. Under interrogation for –CLASSIFIED-. To be taken to the Mustifar system immediately for further interrogation. Removed from previous location because of 'damage to staff'…" I looked at Kanan who was now watching me. "Damage to staff?" I asked confused. I looked down and saw a video file from the old location. I pressed it and a hologram of an imperial cell appeared. I went cold.

"So, going to give up yet?" said the hologram Inquisitor. Kanan's sister didn't look as beat up as she was now, but she was staring straight at the Inquisitor, hate in her eyes. "What else can you take away from me? I don't fear you." The Inquisitor calmly laughed and motioned his hand towards the robotic arms, making electricity jump from them to her, but this time, she didn't move. She was still staring at the inquisitor and was breathing heavily. The Inquisitor's smile faded. Kanan walked over to me and watched the hologram. Suddenly electricity shot from her hands to the Inquisitor and the two storm troopers standing by him. The three of them screamed and the Inquisitor ran out of the cell while the two storm troopers continued getting shocked and eventually fell and stopped moving. I gasped and so did Kanan. "H-how did she do that?" I asked worried.

"I don't know… How old is this recording?" Kanan changed the subject.

I looked at the date on the screen and replied "Four months ago."

Kanan looked shocked and yelled "What?!"

I looked at the screen again and saw another piece of information. "Um… Kanan… you might not like this." I said, still staring at the screen. "What?" he asked as he walked back to his sister. I took a deep breath and said "This record says she's been in Imperial custody for about 9 months." He looked like he'd just been stabbed. "I… don't understand… my visions didn't show me her in this condition. I thought she was put under interrogation recently…" he trailed off.

"Well whatever they want from her must be important… we need to leave soon," I said, remembering the plan. Kanan nodded and released the locks on the table. The girl fell and Kanan caught her, laying her gently on the ground. She groaned and her eyes opened a small crack, revealing silver eyes looking into Kanan's green ones. She sighed and her eyes closed again, falling into another slumber. My master picked her up gently, cradling her like a baby. "Let's go." He said as he left the cell. I followed, keeping a close eye out for any imperials.

We decided to go up the lift and while in there, Kanan gently lay the girl down on the floor and stretched. "So what's her name?" I asked.

He replied quickly "Ash."

There was a small silence, then I asked "When was the last time you saw each other?"

Kanan sighed and said quietly "Around 20 years…"

As much as I would have liked to ask more questions, the lift door opened and he picked Ash up and we ran for the Ghost. Once we got into the cargo hold, Hera remotely shut the ramp behind us. I leaned up against a crate to catch my breath while Kanan walked to the far end wall and laid Ash down, her back against the wall. She let out a small painful groan as Kanan retracted the hand that was on her back to find it stained with blood. He looked at it for a second, and then wiped it off on the side of his shirt. He stayed crouched down, back turned while Zeb came down the ladder and into the room. He looked at Kanan and Ash and then exchanged a look of sorrow towards me. I returned the expression as we remained quiet. Kanan lifted a shaky hand to her head again like he did before but this time, starting stroking her hair gently. He retracted his hand a little as Hera said "Kanan! I need you at the top gun now!" through the comlink. It was obvious he didn't want to leave her but he begrudgingly stood up and walked towards the ladder. "Zeb, Ezra. Take her to the med bay, carefully!" he said while speeding to the top turret.

Zeb picked Ash up and we went up to the med bay. After Zeb laid Ash on the medical bed, he looked at his hands which were now slightly stained and said "Ah. I'll be back. Do a scan on her kid." I activated the scanning machine and I came to the edge of her bed. She really was in a bad condition. I grabbed a rag and tried my best to clean up her external cuts, especially the one on her cheek. After that, I checked the scans. She had many cuts and bruises but the worst damage was permanent nerve damage throughout her whole body. I didn't know how serious nerve damage was but it didn't sound good. Zeb and Sabine walked into the med bay. "How is she?" Sabine asked.

"Is permanent nerve damage bad?" I asked.

"What?! Yes! It's extremely serious!" she exclaimed as she pushed me out of the way and looked at the scan results. "Well how was I supposed to know?!" I said, a bit annoyed. Hera walked into the room and asked "What's all the yelling about?"

"Nothing. Just these two bickering again," Zeb said. Chopper's voice came over the comlink and Hera smiled. "What'd he say?" I asked. "He said that all the ties are gone and we are going to make the jump to hyperspace," she replied. Suddenly there was a slight jolt as the Ghost jumped to hyperspace. Ash groaned and everyone looked towards her. Her eyes were starting to open and Hera went to the side of the bed and took a better look at her. "…Ca…leb…"Ash said in a croaky voice. Her eyes opened some more, revealing those silver eyes again.

Suddenly I heard loud footsteps coming from the hall way. The med bay door opened to reveal Kanan. We all looked at him and he looked at us until he finally looked upon his weak, fragile sister. He ran up to her, gently urging Hera to step aside. He leaned over the side of the bed until he was looking right into her eyes. His eyes started to water as he held one of her hands in his. "Ash…It's me… Are you in there?" he asked. Ash looked like she was staring into another dimension as her eyes widened a bit more. "Ca…leb…" she croaked again.

"Yeah. It's Caleb. It's okay… you're safe now… we're going to help you…" Kanan said, words getting stuck in his throat. I looked over at Sabine and mouthed "Caleb?" She just shrugged and looked back at Kanan and Ash. Tears began to form in Ash's eyes. She moaned as she adjusted her position slightly and lifted a hand up to Kanan's face. She rested her hand on his cheek and said "…C-Caleb…" A smile started to appear on her face. "I…knew you would come." She tried to sit up but Kanan urged her to sit back down. "You need to rest. You need to heal." He said.

She sighed. "I always… knew you were… alive. I always knew…" she groaned and held her stomach "you… would find… me… _protect me_…" her voice trailed off as she sighed and her hand fell and her eyes closed, falling back into slumber. Kanan stared at her for a second before wiping his eyes. He took a deep breath and Hera reassuringly put a hand on his shoulder. "Kanan, it's okay." She said in a caring voice. He let go of Ash's hand and looked towards all of us. "I don't think she'll be awake any time today. It's late, we should all go to bed and rest." He said, his voice still shaky. Everyone nodded and left the room, there was no point in arguing. I waited at the door and watched Kanan turn around to Ash again while everyone headed to their cabins. He pulled out a spare blanket from the cupboard and spread it over his fragile sister. He leaned in and gently kissed her forehead and whispered something to her. He turned around and walked towards me. "Come on, let's let her rest." We walked together towards our cabins. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. Everyone knew that those two had a special bond that even 20 years apart couldn't break. Their love for each other was strong…

* * *

**So what did you guys think? I hope you like it! I've worked really hard on this chapter so I hope it's good! Till next time, may the force be with you, always.**

**-Superherotiger**


	3. Family Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from star wars Rebels. The only character I own is Ash Dume (AKA Kanan's sister). All character rights go to their proper owners.**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

_"__Caleb! Stop it!" Ash yelled playfully._

_"__Aw come on. Can't a brother noogie her sister every once and a while," I replied sarcastically. She jumped out of my grasp and pushed me slightly "Not when you do it every day! You're so annoying some times," she said while laughing. "I'm just preparing you for when you're older. You'll look back at this someday and thank me." She laughed. "Pfft. The day I thank you for being annoying is the day the war is over!" A voice in the distance yelled "Caleb, Ash, dinner!" I looked at Ash, kneeled down and asked "Want a piggy back ride?" She didn't hesitate. She jumped on my back and we set off for home. I ran across the grassy hills of Edross, Ash laughing the whole way back…_

Those were the days…

I got out of bed, that childhood memory still fresh in my mind. I looked at the holoclock, it was early but I couldn't sleep after last night. I was too worried about Ash. I got out of my night clothes and put on a spare shirt I had. After that, I put my pants on along with attaching my arm guard and blaster holster. I went to the kitchen and made myself a hot drink. I sat down on a chair and sighed. _Life used to be so much easier back then. _After I finished my drink, I went to go check on Ash. While walking there, I was in deep concentration. "_I always knew you were alive" _played in my mind. A grin pulled on my face. She managed to keep the hope that I was alive for more than a decade. She never ceases to amaze me. I started thinking about what she said after that. _"__I always knew you would find me…__**protect me**__"_ A stab of guilt ran through me. I wasn't there for her for so many years. I wasn't there to protect her from the pain she experienced. I wasn't there… to love her. I walked into the med bay and was shocked to see Ash awake, sitting on the edge of the medical bed.

"Ash! You're awake!" I said as I ran over to her.

She looked up with her silver eyes. It was strange…I remembered them to be brown when she was young… I wanted to embrace her in a hug and make up for all the years I wasn't there but she was much too fragile at the moment. A weak smile crept onto her face. She slowly stood up and at first I thought she was falling but she had actually jumped and wrapped her arms around me. "Caleb…" she said as she started crying. I carefully wrapped my arms around her, making sure I didn't hurt her. She cried onto my shoulder as her tears of joy soaked through my shirt and onto my skin. She sobbed silently and said quietly "I love you…" Tears started to form in my eyes. I wanted to say that I loved her too and that I was so sorry about everything but all that came out of my mouth was "It's great to see you again."

She pulled away a little, just enough so I could see her face. She looked up at me with big eyes. "See?" she said "see…" Her smile faded as tears began to fall from her eyes. "If only I could say the same thing." I was confused. "What…what do you mean?" I asked. She closed her eyes and started to cry again. "They took it," she moaned. I lifted my hand and pushed her fringe out of her eyes. "Took what?" I asked, becoming a bit concerned. She put her head on my shoulder again but didn't cry.

"My vision," she said quietly.

I didn't respond at first because I was speechless. Her vision… they took it… it took me a second to realise what it meant. "The Empire… they blinded you… didn't they?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly. She started to sob again. I could hardly keep the tears from my own eyes. I stroked her head and said calmly "Shh. It's all over now. You're safe. Shh…" After a few minutes she calmed down and she said "We have so much to talk about…" I pulled her back a bit to look her in the face "You have to heal first." She nodded. A smile crept on to her face as she said "I never got to thank you." I said lovingly "You don't need to thank us. You're here and you're safe and that's all that matters." She formed a cheeky grin and said "Not for that." I looked at her curiously, not that she would be able to see it.

"I told you that I would thank you for being annoying once the war ended… well… it ended. But I think a new one is about to start…"she said, her tone becoming more serious near the end there. I laughed. "How do you remember such things?" I asked. She laughed. "I don't know. It kind of…came to me this morning." _That happened to me too…_

Our little family reunion was broken when Ezra walked into the med bay, rubbing his eyes and saying "Hey Kanan I was wonder…" but he stopped when he saw Ash and I wrapped in each other's arms. We both let go of each other and Ezra said "sorry if I interrupted…"

"It's okay Ezra. Ash, this is Ezra, my padawan," I said.

Ezra walked forward and held out his hand "Nice to meet you." She smiled and said "You too." Ezra looked a little confused and looked at his hand, and then at me. I forgot she was blind. I did a quick motion with my hand going past my eyes and mouthing 'blind' to him. He picked it up quickly and gave me a thumbs up. "So, how are you feeling?" my padawan asked. She smiled and said "Better, let's just say… does it look bad?" I had totally forgotten about her injuries and red stained clothing until now. Ezra quickly examined her and said "Was your clothes white with red cause it's more like red with white…" I gave him a small punch on the shoulder and was about to tell Ezra to apologise but Ash laughed and said "Quick witty. I like it. So tell me young Ezra, what has my brother been doing these past years?" Before I could even say a word, Ezra said "Fightin' Imperials. What else?" Ash smiled and said "Sounds about right for you Caleb." I rolled my eyes but realised that Ezra was looking at me and mouthed 'Caleb?' I nodded and mouthed back 'later'. Ezra continued the conversation "What do you mean by that?"

I put an arm around his shoulder and said "Let's just say we were never kids that liked obeying rules…"

"Ha. You could never break our personalities. Especially not yours Caleb," she laughed.

"Coming from the one who just got out of 9 months of interrogation with a smile on their face," I said sarcastically.

"Like I said, can't break us," she said but her smile faded as her legs buckled and she fell backwards. I ran to her side and supported her. "Maybe that's enough for now. You need to rest." I helped her back into bed and she gave me one last re-assuring smile before closing her eyes and falling to sleep. I turned around and motioned Ezra to follow me. We sat down in the common room and Ezra flooded me with questions, as if he was keeping them in the whole time. "First off: she's blind?!"

"Yes. I only found out today too so don't freak out," I answered. His face became more serious as he asked "How?" I leaned forward and took a deep breath. "The Empire will use anything to get information from someone. Usually, if the prisoner doesn't talk after a while, they'll just kill them, but if you have important information that no one else knows, you become more valuable and they'll use any tactic possible to get you to speak. Ash is an example of that. They blinded her in the hope to break her will, but like she said, our wills don't seem to break." Ezra smiled and said "So… Caleb… plan to tell me what that's all about?" I smiled back. It was going to be a long day…

* * *

**So how was it? Did you like the little family reunion? I tried to make it a little smaller this time because I didn't realise how huge the last chapter was! Anyways, I hope you guys liked it! (By the way, look up 'yin and yang necklace' to see what their 'family necklace' is.) may the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**


	4. Beginning of the Road

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Star Wars Rebels. The only character I do own is Ash Dume (AKA Kanan's sister). All character rights go to their proper owners.**

* * *

Ezra's POV

* * *

"Did you ask her what Kanan's most embarrassing moment was, kid?" Sabine asked, giggling slightly. I pulled another spoonful of porridge up into my mouth and said "No, but I'll ask her next time." Kanan was sitting next to me and nudged me slightly with a smile on his face "No you won't… you'd better not!"

"Yeah, not if I beat you too it!" Zeb laughed.

Everyone kept eating for a moment. A serious thought came to my mind. "Can blindness be fixed?" Hera looked at me with a sad expression and said "No." Everyone was silent for a moment until the kitchen door opened. Everyone turned to see who it was and we were all surprised to see that it was Ash. We left her to sleep a few hours ago so I was genuinely shocked to see her. "Ash?!" Kanan asked, almost chocking on his coffee. She snapped back into reality and nervously asked "Yeah… um, I smelt food…and I was wondering if I could join you?" Hera nodded and said in a motherly voice as she pulled over a spare chair "Come sit." I was about to stand up and help her over to the chair but she casually walked over and managed to step to the side when Chopper came past. She sat down and I asked, a bit confused "I thought you were blind."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I don't have other ways to see… I especially would expect a force sensitive _padawan_ to know that force sensitive beings can sense their surroundings," she finished, with a smile aimed at me. I rolled my eyes "Well Kanan never told me that…"

"Sure sure blame it on me why don't you," Kanan said sarcastically while giving me a nudge. He seemed a bit more playful lately. Usually he would have just gave me a glare but he seemed genuinely happy for once. Hera placed a bowl of porridge in front of Ash. She almost leapt on it like a wild animal but Kanan put an arm in front of her. "Wait. When was the last time you ate?"

She was still staring at the bowl. "I don't know… a few days maybe," but her stomach let out a loud growl. She gave a worried smile to Kanan and said "correction…a few _weeks_ maybe." Kanan's joy seemed to disappear for a second as he gave a concerned glance to Hera. He looked back to Ash and said "It's not good for you to have nothing for ages and suddenly eat heaps. Your body won't know how to react and it might come back up. Eat it slowly okay." Ash didn't seem to be listening and was staring at the bowl of hot food intently. "Yeah, yeah… let's eat!" she said, about to dig into the porridge but Kanan pushed her back and took the bowl with his free hand. "Ash! Listen! Don't make _me _feed you!" Kanan said with his usually, forceful voice. She sighed "Ugh… fine, I'll eat it slowly. But just put yourself in my shoes for a second! I haven't eaten in _weeks_! Having a bowl of something other than liquid food in front of me and forcing me to eat it slowly is like torture!"

He gave her a small grin and said "Then you should be used to it."

She opened her mouth but closed it. She didn't seem to have a response. Zeb had just finished his breakfast but decided to stay for a bit longer. "So, we've been wondering Ash. What's Kanan's most embarrassing moment?" Ash looked at Sabine with a confused look on her face. Kanan sighed and said "My real name isn't Kanan."

Every one gasped. "What?!" Sabine yelled.

It didn't come as a shock to me. I had already asked Kanan and he told me that when the Empire took over, they had a record of all the jedi names so he changed his and became a new person with a new identity. Seemed reasonable to me. "It _was _Caleb when I was young but I am Kanan now. Everyone calm down," he said, trying to act as reasonable as possible.

"So, do you want me to call you Kanan now?" Ash asked, still slightly confused.

"No. I want you to still call me Caleb… but everyone else calls me Kanan. Got it everyone?" Everyone nodded. I pondered why he wanted Ash to call him Caleb while everyone else called him Kanan. Maybe that way he felt there was still a bit of his past life with him since Ash was from his childhood. I remembered the original conversation and said "So, what was Kanan's most embarrassing moment?" Kanan's cheeks went pink as he tried to say "Nah, we don't wanna hear tha…"

"Well the time you rode a speeder bike for the first time was pretty funny…" she started but Kanan clamped his hand over her mouth, his cheeks glowing a bit more. Ash lifted her hand and did some strange movement with it towards Sabine. She nodded and put down her empty bowl. "Well I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

"Me too," said Zeb.

Before Sabine left, I grabbed her wrist and asked quietly "What was that thing that Ash did?" She came closer and said "Sign language. She said 'talk later'." I grinned and so did Sabine as she walked out of the Kitchen, along with Zeb and Chopper. Kanan had removed his hand from Ash's mouth and had taken a spoon and dipped it in the bowl of porridge. "You need some retraining sis'." He lifted the spoon and put it near Ash's mouth saying "Here comes the spaceship"sarcastically. Strangely, she smiled and opened her mouth. Kanan seemed to be taken back by this and put the spoon in her mouth. He pulled back the spoon and there was nothing on it. Ash gave him a cheeky smile and like lightning, punched him in the stomach, not to hurt him but at least knock the wind out of him. It worked as he gasped and bent over, holding his stomach. I laughed and I could see Hera trying to hold back a giggle.

"I guess you never lost your speed sister," Kanan said, though it came out unusually high pitched.

"I guess you never lost your arrogance brother," Ash giggled, taking the bowl and spoon and eating some porridge. When Kanan finally recovered, Hera and I looked away, still laughing slightly. After a few spoonfuls of porridge, Ash's stomach decided it still wasn't ready for food and she started to do that cross between burping and vomiting. Kanan quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to the sink. She started to vomit and Kanan looked at the sink and a worried expression came on his face. He patted her back and signalled Hera to come over. Hera walked to the other side of Ash and looked at the sink. She gasped and came over to me, urging me to leave the kitchen. I walked out but just before they closed the door, I saw Ash, vomiting a mix of breakfast, mucus and blood. I could see why they wanted me not to see it.

I felt sorry for her. She went through so much and managed to keep positive but her injuries still prevented her from things she desperately needed, like food. I guess we were her guides on her road to recovery, and we will do anything to help her…

* * *

**So how was it? I know it doesn't progress as much 'story wise' but this fan fic is basically about Ash's road to recovery and Kanan and Ash's bond. I also really wanted to get out a chapter because I came on today to see 3 more people had started following! To me that was a big honour so I hope you liked this chapter! May the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**


	5. Nightmare of Fears

**Disclaimer: I do not owner any characters from star wars rebels. The only character I do own is Ash Dume (AKA Kanan's sister). All character rights go to their proper owners.**

* * *

Ash's POV

* * *

I opened my eyes to be greeted by a bright light. Once my eyes adjusted, I could see I was in an Imperial cell. I knew what was going on immediately. I didn't struggle. I didn't move. I tried to tell myself _'__This isn't real! Wake up! Wake up!' _but it wasn't working. I knew what was going to happen next. As if on cue, the Inquisitor walked in with a smile on his face. "You've held up quite a fight. Now it's time to give up, before we get serious," he said coldly. I closed my eyes and yelled "No! No! This is all a dream! Must… wake… up!" The Inquisitor laughed and I knew this situation all too well that I didn't need my eyes open to know what would happen. He pulled out a long, sharp syringe full of a silver liquid.

"This poison could either make your muscles feel like they're on fire or make you permanently blind. Either is fine with me," he said as he walked up to me and injected it into my neck. I hated this part. The cold liquid spread through my body and started to heat up. "Ahh!" I screamed as my muscles started to twitch. The Inquisitor laughed and undid the locks on the interrogation table, making me fall to the ground. I lay on my side, twitching uncontrollably. I looked up into the Inquisitors eyes and screamed "I hate you!" He laughed as my vision started to fade and my muscles stopped twitching and instead going completely limp, still burning like lava. Everything went black and cold.

This wasn't an ordinary nightmare. It was a memory. A scar. I had been having it every night for the past 4 months, reliving the experience over and over again. I was tired of the merciless imperial haunting my dreams. I started to cry, stuck in a cold and lonely abyss. What else could I do? Usually, I would hear the inquisitor walk back in and start electrocuting me but for some reason, it stayed quiet. Instead, a warm presence washed over me. Of course this change didn't stop the effects of the poison as I started to throw up and sweat intensely.

"Ash!" I heard someone say. I stayed still. I knew who it was but I just didn't have the energy to reply. I heard someone's footsteps come closer and bend down. "Ash!" Caleb said. He lifted me up gently and lay me on his lap, my head resting against his chest. "Ash, snap out of it!" he said. I still couldn't move but my body continued to sweat and vomit against my will. He didn't seem fazed and just wrapped his arms around me and lay his head on top of mine. "You need to wake up. It's okay… I'm right here," he said gently.

The burning heat in my body started to fade as it was replaced by my brother's warm presence and body heat. "Caleb…" I said weakly. He started to stroke my head just like Mum used to. "It's okay. You're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you… wake up…" I opened my eyes and wasn't surprised to see darkness. "Ash! You in there?" he asked. "Ye…" I started but was quickly cut off but vomit coming up my throat and I assume, going all over Caleb. "Sorry…" I said quietly but he cut me off and said "It's okay. It's not your fault." He hugged me a little tighter and tried to comfort me.

It really was hard being blind. Not being able to look into his caring eyes. Not being able to see the family he was part of. Not being able to see the _man_ he'd become. I just lay in his arms, absorbing his love. "Sleep Ash. You need to rest." He said but I just couldn't bare myself to do it. I just couldn't handle it again. "No! He'll come back!" I said, freaking out a little. Caleb tensed and asked "Who?" A vision of the Inquisitor flashed in my mind as I cried onto Caleb's chest and said "The Inquisitor." He tensed even more and said "Don't worry. I took care of him a while ago. He can't hurt you any more… now sleep. I'll be right here…" I nodded and closed my eyes, just listening to the Caleb's heartbeat. Eventually, the beats got quieter, and quieter but his presence still remained. I drifted off to sleep, for once not in fear of what would come…

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

It was a long night but I had finally fell into slumber. I opened my eyes slightly to see Hera cleaning up some of the mess that Ash had made last night. I opened my eyes wider and whispered to her "Thank you." She looked at me, smiled and nodded. I looked at my little sister who was not so little anymore, still fast asleep. I had woken up last night from a disturbance in the force to find Ash on the med bay floor, twitching violently and vomiting. I woke her up and embraced her in a hug to comfort her. It took her a little while to finally sleep again but she didn't seem to have any more problems after that.

We were still lying against the wall so I gently picked Ash up and moved her to the medical bed. I tucked her in and when I turned around she groaned and said, still asleep "don't leave…" I turned back to her and kissed her on the forehead and whispered "I'm still here. Don't worry. Go back to sleep." I turned around again and she didn't say anything. I looked at Hera who smiled at me. I signalled for her to follow me, I would clean up the mess later. We went to the kitchen and I sat down, my back hurting a little. I groaned as Hera made me a drink. "What happened?" she asked. I looked up and said "Nightmare." I knew that it was certainly more than a nightmare but it was easier just to call it that. Hera sat down on a chair next to me and handed me a coffee. "Thanks." I said as I started to drink the hot liquid. It was silent for a moment before I said in a serious tone "I think the Empire scarred a lot more than her body in those nine months." Hera looked down and then put a hand on my shoulder and said "And you are one of the few people who can fix that." I let the words soak in for a moment. _Maybe I was…_

I felt happy that I could help her but sad that she was in this condition in the first place. Something about holding her in my arms like that last night reminded me of a childhood memory back when I was young. There was a big storm and lightning was striking close to our house in the country. Ash had run into my room and I held her in my arms, telling her I wouldn't let anything hurt her and that I would be right there for her. It was my duty as her big brother to look after her and I would. I would heal her scars, both physical and mental. I would stand by her in hard times and I would love her every day. I wouldn't want it any other way…

* * *

**So did you like this chapter? It dives a bit deeper into the fears of Ash. I'm glad to say I could finally write a chapter in her perspective :D Tell me what you think of the story. I love to hear your reviews! May the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**


	6. The Speederbike Incident

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Star Wars Rebels. The only character I own from this fanfic is Ash Dume (AKA Kanan's sister). All character rights go to their proper owners.**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

It was later that day and I had just had a short nap. Well at least I thought it was short until I looked at the clock, seeing it had been 5 hours since I left Ash to sleep. I got up quickly and changed out of my night clothes. Once I was dressed, I walked down the hall towards the common room. I heard someone talking from the other side of the door. "So we were with a bunch of friends and they had borrowed a speed bike… emphasis on _borrowed…_" I immediately knew what was happening. I opened the door to see Ash and everyone else sitting around the circular table. They all looked up, smiles on their faces. "Ash, you better not be doing what I think you're doing!" I said while walking closer. She gave me a cheeky grin and continued "So some bright spark decided that it would be a good idea for a 7 year old Caleb to try it out…" I ran towards the table but was pulled back by someone. I turned around to see Zeb, holding my arm. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that," he said as he wrapped both his arms around me, holding me back. "Continue," Hera giggled as I struggled in Zeb's grasp. Ash looked at everyone and said "So my foolish brother jumped onto the seat and of course the first thing he did was accidentally step on the accelerator!" Everyone started to giggle as my face went red.

"He went flying! Speeding down the plains of Edross! He started screaming his head off while everyone on top of the hill just laughed until we were sore. He was like a loth-cat on steroids! Next thing you know, one of our friends manages to grab the controls and steer the bike back up the hill and guess what happened when we saw him…" Ash explained but I cut her off and yelled "No! Don't you dare say it!" My sister laughed and said in a small whisper, as if it was very important "When our friend pulled him off the bike, we saw that… he'd…peed his pants!" Everyone started laughing and Zeb let me go. My face went bright red. Ash continued and said "And it got all over our friend aswell!" This extra fact made everyone laugh even more! I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck with my hand.

"You know if you think about it, it wouldn't have been as funny if it was anyone else but just the thought of _Kanan_ peeing his pants…Ha…makes it so much better!" Sabine said through her laughter. Ash stood up and I walked over to her. "Seriously? You realise they're never going to let this down." I said, my cheeks still red. Ash laughed and said "Oh come on, you know it's funny. It'll be easier if you just accept it. Besides, your padawan and the Mandalorian conned me into it." I looked over at Ezra and Sabine who were still laughing, trying to hold it in. I gave Ezra an _'__I'm coming for you'_ smile and by the time he realised, it was too late. I had run over to him and pinned him up against me, giving him a noogie with my free hand. He laughed and struggled to get free from my grasp so instead I bent down and grabbed his legs, lifting him up and holding him upside down. I turned my dangling padawan around to face me and I said "Now what am I going to do with you?" We both laughed and everyone else smiled.

Ash came behind me and said gently "Sometimes, everyone just needs a bit of joy, a bit of laugher, then even the darkest times seem bright." I was surprised of how wise her words were. I smiled and nodded, then looked back at my padawan who was looking up at me. "You could let me down that's what you could do," he said. I laughed and said "Okay," as I let go of his legs and he fell. He hit the ground with a thud and rubbed his head saying "Not exactly what I had in mind but hey, it works." I chuckled at this and looked over at Sabine who was trying to slink away. "But you two aren't off the hook yet! I'll get you guys somehow, but for now, best to go do your own things. Ash, we need to inspect your wounds and get you out of those clothes." Hera stepped forward and said "I'll help." I nodded and all 3 of us started to walk out of the room but Ezra tagged along too. "What are you doing?" I asked him curiously. He smiled and said "Emotion support." I rolled my eyes and we headed to the med bay. As embarrassing as it was, Ash was right. In such dark times, it's good to have a little fun…

* * *

**Hey guys! _Two chapters in one day what?_ Is probably what you're thinking. Well its weekend for me so I decided to write a shorter, fun chapter after the whole 'Fears and Pain' thing last chapter to even it out a little. I hope it was good and that you all liked it! May the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**


	7. Revisiting the Past

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Star Wars Rebels. The only characters I own from this fanfic are Ash Dume (AKA Kanan's sister) and Aiden. All character rights go to their proper owners.**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

It was later that day and we had just cleaned up and inspected Ash's injuries. She had a cluster of cuts on her back, which she said was from whipping and on the back of her legs and arms were long, deep cuts. We stitched them up and also got her into a set of spare clothes. For some reason, Ezra had left very suspiciously and I hadn't seen him since. I wondered what the teen was doing but I would go check on him later. It was a brighter day, as Ash went around and talked to everyone alone, getting to know them a bit better. She was definitely improving mentally.

"Okay everyone, it's getting late. Let's go to bed," I said as I yawned. Everyone sighed as they were listening to the stories of how Ash and her friend rebelled against the Empire. They were quite intriguing stories but I was really tired and I could see that Ash was especially exhausted. "Well, I'll talk to you all tomorrow," Ash said with a smile as she stood up and started to walk towards the med bay. I grabbed her hand and turned her around. "Maybe it's best you sleep in my cabin tonight, after what happened last night." I was worried about what she was dreaming about but I hadn't had a chance to ask her about it the whole day. She nodded and I led her to my cabin.

She walked in and sat on the bottom bunk, then closed her eyes. It was like she was trying to find something as she reached her hand towards the secret compartment in my bed. I closed the door and walked over to her. "What is it?" I asked. She found the compartment and opened it. I flinched a little. She reached her hand in and took the 3 holodiscs that were in there. She held them in her hands and I sat down next to her. She was fiddling especially with the oldest one that had a picture of Ash, Mum and me in it. "I miss her," she said, as if she could _feel_ the picture inside the disc. I put an arm around her and said "I miss her too." She started to fiddle with the second disc, which was a picture of me and an old friend when I was a padawan, then finally came to the newest, most recent holodisc. "Your family is very nice."

I looked at the holodisc in her hand that contained a picture of the crew and me, all smiling and laughing. I nodded "They are."

We stayed silent for a moment as she put the holodiscs back into the compartment and closed it. I broke the silence "I know you might not want to talk about it but… what happened to Mum?"

She sighed "I thought you might ask that. It was 2 years after the Empire took over and when Mum first heard about the death of all the Jedi she immediately hated the Imperials. She taught me how to sword fight with the family swords and said that we would avenge you… but I didn't give up hope. I knew you were alive. One day, a group of Imperials came to our house. They broke down the door and searched the house. They were looking for you…" I was very tense, especially when she said that last part. As if sensing my tension, she put a hand on my knee which made me relax. "Continue," I said.

"They destroyed everything and when they regrouped again, they got new orders. They… they…" she couldn't seem to get the words out. She was starting to tear up again and I held her close. She finally said "They shot her…" I had a feeling she was going to say that, but she continued "She told me to run, and I did at first… but when I ran past the family laser swords on the mantle, something came over me…" she was starting to cry and she held her head in her hands. She finally said in a quiet whisper "I took the swords… and took their lives…" I tensed but then felt sorry for her. She was only 14 years old when all this happened. I embraced her in a hug and said "It's okay. That's all the past now…" she took deep breathes, as if it was a memory she had tried to push back for years. "I don't know what came over me… I did terrible things to those storm troopers and I feel so… ashamed, when I look back at it…" I stood up and kneeled in front of her. "Ash, it's not your fault." I moved her hands from her face and looked into her eyes. "Trust me, everything is going to get much better from here on out." She nodded and I started to pull the covers back so she could hop into bed.

"There's more…I need to tell you so much… I can't keep it in anymore…"she said. She crawled under the blankets and I sat next to her. "Go ahead. We have all night." She took a deep breath and continued her story. "After that, I moved to the city and became a thief, kind of like what Ezra was. That was until I was 16 and I met a boy who was 17. He was so kind, so funny. He spared me food and took me to his family, who welcomed me with open arms. He became my best friend Caleb. He protected me from thugs and gave me hope." I pulled the sheets up until they were over her shoulders. Whoever this friend was, I owed dearly for looking after Ash so well.

"I told him about you, you know? He could sympathies because his older brother was a jedi who had died when the Empire took over but he told me to never give up hope. He told me that he would help me find you, whether we had to search the entire galaxy to find out the truth. He said that not knowing is the worst part and that he would do everything in his power to help me. I was going through a lot of mental struggle at that time and he saved me… from myself. Kind of like what you guys are doing now." It was a lot to take in. She realised that and waited till I understood everything before continuing. "What was your friend's name?" I asked.

"Aiden," she said as she looked at me with her big silver eyes.

"Is he… still alive?" I asked.

She nodded. A small whisper escaped her lips "I need to find him… tell him that I'm okay." I could see that this Aiden meant a lot to her and I suggested "We could contact him…" but she quickly cut me off "No! I want to be fully recovered before I see him again. Besides, I want to spend some time with you guys before I reunite with him." I understood and nodded. She took a deep breath and I could see she hadn't finished her story. "Is there more?" I asked.

"Yes… but it's not happy," she said, still mentally deciding whether or not to tell me. She pulled one of her hands out of the covers and felt my neck. I was a little confused until she made it to my half of the family neckless and rubbed her fingers over it. She smiled slightly and retracted her hand, then continued with her story. "Aiden saw how much I influenced the people and asked me to join him in creating a group of freedom fighters. I agreed and we brought so much hope to the people it was amazing! All of Edross agreed with us and by that time, the Empire had left, deciding Edross had no more valuable resources. We created an organised group ready to fight for the people. We started to send our troops to other small planets and they too joined our message of hope." I let it all soak in and then asked "I heard about the Freedom Fighters… that was you?!"

She nodded with a small smile of pride but it quickly disappeared. "It was 9 months ago and Aiden and I were fighting to free a planet on the outer rim. But… it didn't go as planned. That's where I first met the Inquisitor. I'd never seen anyone fight like him and he taunted me with dark memories of my past. I don't even know how he knew all of that stuff. I tried to use the family swords but my training was inferior to his skills. Even Aiden's martial arts training couldn't prepare me for him. They captured me because they wanted to know all the Freedom Fighter's secrets but soon realised I held much more valuable information. They did terrible things to me Caleb…" She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, as if the pain returned when she remembered. I held her hand and she relaxed. She finally opened her eyes. "_He _blinded me…" she said in a whisper. I knew who she meant by _'__he'._

"Ash don't worry. He's not even alive any more. He came after us and I defeated him…" but suddenly Ash grabbed my arm. "He came after you? A few months ago right?" I nodded and asked why. A small smile formed on her face and she said "You saved me… before the Inquisitor came after you he was in charge of my interrogations. It was terrible. He haunted my thoughts and he's the one I always see in my nightmares. When I heard he was reassigned I pledged I would find the one who distracted him and give him a huge hug! Who knew that whole time… it was you…" She jumped out of the covers and gave me a huge hug. After a few seconds I lay her back on the bed and pulled the covers over her. I smiled. The thought that we were the ones who distracted the Inquisitor from hurting Ash any more made me happy and feel like I _was_ there for her, but in a more indirect way.

"What about you?" Ash asked.

I started to stroke her head. "Well, after the Empire took over, I went into hiding. Then a certain Twi'lek _convinced _me to help her fight against the empire. I joined her and her droid and the crew started to grow into what we have today… a family. Now it's time to rest," I said just before I kissed her on the head and stood up. She smiled and said "Thank you… for everything." I nodded and said "That's what big brothers are for." Her eyes were starting to close as she said quietly "Night." I smiled and got dressed into night clothes. Then I hopped up onto the top bunk. That night, for once in a long time, Ash slept peacefully. We both did…

* * *

**So how was it? I was really excited to work on this chapter! I love to read your reviews so go ahead and write what you think! How were your feels on a scale of 1 to 10? Who is Aiden? What is Ezra up to? Find out, in the next chapter! Or at least the Ezra part of it :P As always, may the force be with you!**

**-Superherotiger**


	8. A Gesture of Kindness

**Disclaimer: I do not bla bla. We get it by now. Star wars rebels characters are not mine and Ash and Aiden are. We all get the point by now.**

* * *

Ezra's POV

* * *

I sat on my top bunk, scrubbing and polishing Ash's belt. Yesterday, when Kanan and Hera were looking at her wounds, I took her white shirt, pants and belt and decided I would clean them for her. It seemed like the right thing to do. When Zeb had walked in last night and saw me scrubbing blood off of her shirt, I told him that I wanted to surprise her. He understood and went to sleep. I was almost finished and was just about to fold her clothes up neatly when I heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked

"It's me kid. I got the stuff," said Sabine from the other side of the door. Using the force, I unlocked the door and the mandalorian walked in.

"You said you needed strips of coloured cloth?" she said, a bit confused.

I jumped off the bed and nodded "Yeah. I need to make something out of them." She still looked confused but lifted her hand up and gave me 7 different coloured strips of cloth. "Thank you!" I said as I turned around and sat on Zeb's bed. She closed the door and sat next to me. "What'cha making?" she asked. I smiled as I started to weave the orange, purple, pink, blue, light green, dark green and silver cloth together. Sabine watched intently, wondering what I was making. I finally tied a knot and handed it to Sabine. "What do you think?"

"I think it's great! Where did you learn to weave a bracelet?" she said as she stared at the bracelet in her hand.

"I just picked it up randomly I guess… think Ash will like it? I know she can't see it but you know… it kind of represents our family." Sabine smiled and handed the bracelet back. "I think she'll love it." I stood up, collected the now clean, sparkling clothes and headed out of my room, followed by Sabine. I held the presents behind my back as we walked into the common room.

"Thank you volunteer," Ash said, looking at Kanan.

"I didn't volunteer, these 3 made me do it," replied Kanan while looking at Hera, Zeb and Chopper who were sitting back, enjoying the show. Ash rolled her eyes and said "Quit whining. So, my friend used to teach me martial arts and the coolest move he taught me was how to stun. It goes like this." Suddenly Ash sped to behind Kanan and hit him in very specific areas on his spine and neck. Kanan fell and quickly recovered. "Ash!" he exclaimed. Ash just laughed and said "And if that doesn't work, you do this." She raised her hand towards the wall and the lights suddenly flickered. She ran up to Kanan and pushed him slightly but it was obvious so see sparks of electricity fly from her to him. He stumbled back and smiled "Now you're in for it!"

Ash realised her mistake and tried to run for the door but was stopped in her tracks by Kanan using the force. He pulled her closer and held her in his gasp. She screamed playfully as she struggled to be released. Sabine and I stepped forward and Kanan realised I was there. "Hey kid, where've you been?" he asked, still holding onto Ash who had also stopped. Sabine went and sat with the others as I said "I… have something for Ash." Kanan looked a bit surprised and let his sister go. Ash gave him a nudge and walked over to me. "What's up Ezra?" she asked.

I pulled the hand holding her clothes out from behind my back and then in front of me, my other hand still holding the bracelet. "I cleaned your clothes for you." She smiled and reached for her suit. "Thank you very much Ezra." Kanan walked up behind Ash and nodded in approval. So did Zeb. I tried to break the tension by adding "You know, so you weren't wearing your own blood and stuff." Ash laughed and Kanan just rolled his eyes. I looked over at Sabine who was waiting for me to hand over the bracelet. Ash was about to turn around when I said "I…also made… something for you…" She turned back to me and asked "What is it?" Kanan was becoming interested too and stood at her side. I took one of Ash's hands and placed the bracelet in it. Kanan looked surprised and Ash looked down at her hand, a confused look on her face.

"It's a bracelet. I know you can't see it but I wove it myself… The colours all represent someone. The orange is for Chopper, purple for Zeb, pink for Sabine, blue for me, light green for Hera, dark green for Kanan and silver… for you," I said, a bit shy. She smiled and slipped it onto her wrist. "Thank you… this means a lot… but I don't understand why_I'm_ in it. I've only been here a few days."

"Because you are family…" I said but quickly stopped. Ash looked at me and embraced me in a hug. When she pulled back she said "Thank you. I don't need eyes to see you are pure by heart." I smiled at this and she stood up. "You chose a good one brother," she said as she turned her head towards Kanan. He smiled and I could sense a hint of pride in there, which made me feel happy for some reason. Kanan looked towards me and nodded. I returned the gesture and turned to join the others. Kanan resumed their sibling quarrel and started to tickle Ash under her arms. "Caleb!" she screamed through her laughs. She jumped on his back and started to noogie him like what he did to me yesterday. They continued to rough house, laughing the whole time. Everyone just sat back and watched. Hera rolled her eyes and said quiet enough so only we could hear "They're such children." We all nodded but smiled. Seeing them interact as if nothing had happened over 20 years made me smile. They sure had something special…

* * *

**So here is a shorter chapter. I have been very busy lately so I won't be posting as often as I used too. I hope it's all good. What did you think of the chapter? I really love to read your reviews so go ahead and write one! SHOUTOUT to my friend A M3mb3r123! S/he has a really good story called 'Sabine's Parents' and I also wanted to shout out to him/her because s/he has always left really nice reviews about my story! Well, till next time, may the force be with you!**

**-Superherotiger**


	9. Home Sweet Home

**Disclaimer...rights...characters... bla bla...we get the point.**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

"We need more credits hun otherwise we may as well starve," Hera said as she tried to think of a solution.

"The rebellion won't supply us with any?" I asked as I swivelled in the co-pilot seat.

"No. Ahsoka said they were saving all their supplies for a major mission," she said sadly.

"We could do some missions," I suggested.

"Like what?"

I stopped spinning in my chair and thought for a second. My thoughts were broken when the cockpit door opened, revealing my now much healthier sister. "Hey," she said. She had improved rapidly over the month she had stayed with us. Her cuts only hurt when pressure was applied and the one on her face had slightly faded but still left a scar. She was definitely more active and loved to play and talk with everyone. She was able to eat food without throwing up but she still had nightmares every night. I tried everything but she won't even wake up when she experiences them. No amount of brotherly love could fix whatever demons she faced each night.

"Hey Ash, what's up?" I asked.

"I overheard your conversation and I think I have a solution," she said as she walked closer. Hera sat up straight and I raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?" I asked. She stopped and thought for a second and then finally responded, "Home."

I sat up straight and stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Her silver eyes glowed as she said "We can go to Edross and the Freedom Fighters will take care of us and give you supplies."

I stood up. At night we tended to talk about random things and one subject we talked about was when she wanted to go home. She had always said she wanted to stay with us for a bit longer so I just learnt not to ask. I walked in front of her. "Are you sure?"

She hesitated at first and then nodded "I'm ready."

I nodded and I walked over to the Ghost controls and put in the coordinates for Edross. We were heading home…

We had just emerged from hyperspace as I looked at the green planet of Edross. Ash gave specific coordinates to Hera as we started to land in a clearing on the surface. The landing platform lowered and we all looked at the expanse of green grass on the horizon. To the right was the edge of a forest and I walked down the ramp. "So what are we doing here Kanan?" my curious padawan asked. I looked at Ash and said "I thought you said your base was here."

Everyone walked down the ramp and Ash walked ahead of us. "You doubt me brother?" She bent down and felt the grass. She took a deep breathe. "The grass feels so nice," she said. I walked to beside her and asked "What now?" She stood up and looked at the sky. She pointed up and I squinted to see what she was looking at. Two small dots where circling the sky. Suddenly Ash let out a high pitched bird call. "Just watch," she said when she stopped.

The dots started coming closer and I put my hand on my lightsaber as a natural instinct. Finally they got close enough to reveal two males in bird looking armour. They had metal wings and their boots had little rockets on them as well as a bird mask that covered the top half of their face. They landed in front of us and I pushed Ash behind me. "You do not have permission to be on this ground. Leave now," one said as he pulled out a gun. Ash pushed me aside and said "That's no way to speak to your general boys." They both gasped and knelt on one knee. "I'm sorry m'lady, we didn't see you."

Ash sighed and said caringly "It's okay. You were just doing your job. We need to get to the city now."

They stood up and the second one said "Of course. Would you like us to notify General Aiden?"

"No! I want it to be a surprise. Just lower the shield if that's okay," she said. They both nodded and typed something into a control panel on their wrists. Suddenly there was a large electric sound as I looked off in the distance to see a disappearing ray shield. Behind it was a massive stone city. We all gasped and Ash giggled. She started to walk towards the city on the horizon and we all followed numbly. After about 10 minutes of walking, we made it to the entrance of the city. The gate was guarded by five other bird like soldiers who let us in immediately.

Ash walked in front as people in the streets started to crowd around. They stayed at a distance and murmured until someone finally yelled "Hope is back!" Suddenly everyone broke out in cheers and children ran up to Ash and hugged her legs. She let out a nervous laugh and returned the hugs. The people had created a barrier around us as more joined in watching. People were even climbing on the roofs to see us. I was mind blown. Ezra, not being good with this much attention suddenly stuck to my side, hiding behind me like a frightened child. A loud bird call made everyone go silent as a man in shining black bird armour landed in front of us. "What is going on he…" but he stopped when he looked at Ash. He quickly removed his mask, revealing a tan man with scruffy black hair and beaming brown eyes. "Ash?!" he said nervously.

Ash stood up and said "Aiden?!" The kids moved back to the crowd as they both smiled, full of joy and disbelief. Aiden threw his helmet to the side and ran towards Ash and Ash ran towards him. When they finally collided Aiden embraced my sister in a hug and laughed. "I can't believe it's you!" he said as he closed his eyes. There was so much joy and hope emanating from those two as they stayed in each other's grasp for a moment.

Brotherly and protective instincts urged for me to intervene as his hand came closer to the cluster of cuts of Ash's back. Besides my emotions, I restrained myself and watched. Aiden's hand finally came to the cuts and Ash grunted and pushed his hands away. "I'm sorry," he said as his expression went from joy to concern. "No, no it's okay really," she said as she gave him another squeeze before letting go. They just looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Ash finally broke the silence and said "Come, there's someone I want you to meet!"

She took Aiden's hand and led him towards us. She stopped in front of me and said "Aiden this is my brother." He looked at me and gave me a huge smile. "It's an honour to finally meet you," he said as he put out his hand. "I've heard a lot about you." I shook his hand and gave a glance towards Ash. "I'm assuming good things right?" I asked. Aiden let out a small chuckle and said "She did say something about a speeder bike…"

"Ash!" I yelled.

The others behind me just laughed and Ash let out a giggle. She started to introduce Aiden to all the others. He was very charming and gently kissed Sabine's and Hera's hand when he met them though it was still obvious who his heart belong to as he held Ash's hand tightly the whole time. Once he'd met everyone Ash said "Aiden, these guys saved me from the Empire." His face cringed slightly when she said Empire but then he looked at me and the crew. "Thank you all… you don't know how much this means to me…" He turned his head towards the crowd of people "What it means to _us…_"

The crowd started to cheer and clap again and Aiden just rolls his eyes. "Okay everyone. Go back to what you were doing. We will formally celebrate our hope's return later." Everyone sighed but walked off in different directions. Aiden turned towards all of us and said with a warm smile "Come, there is much to do." He turned around but Ash didn't follow. He turned back to her and he looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

She started to tear up and I put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not like I used to be Aiden…" I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say. Aiden held her other hand in his and waited for her to speak. Ash closed her eyes and sobbed silently. "I can't see…" she finally said. Aiden looked at me confused but I knew it wasn't my place to tell him. I squeezed Ash's shoulder and she opened her eyes and said "I'm blind Aiden." At first he looked surprised but then he smiled and stroked her head. "That doesn't make me love you any less," he said quietly. Ash smiled and he laughed. "Besides, I'm sure you are just as capable as ever." She giggled. I took my hand off of her shoulder and nodded at Aiden. I knew straight away he was the right one…

* * *

**Hey guys. I hope you liked this chapter. I will be away for a week so no new uploads anytime soon. I just thought I would leave you with one chapter that starts to open up a world of possibilities in my story. I hope you liked it! Tell me what you think of my new character Aiden! I love to read your reviews so go ahead and write one! As always, may the force be with you!**

**P.s Don't forget to check out A M3mber123 and JediRebelWriter. They both have great stories and if you love star wars rebels, you'll love their fanfics! May the force be with you fellow writers!**

**-Superherotiger**


	10. The Lost One

**I'm back with a new chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra's POV

* * *

Aiden had showed us around the whole stone town. I had never seen anything like it. Beautiful buildings and engraved stones. The towering pillars to the castle stood over us like giants. Large windows everywhere, light flooding in at every entrance. The sun started to set as Aiden talked to Ash, constantly smiling. Kanan was trailing closely behind them, muscles still slightly tense. I guess it was a brotherly thing.

After we went up an elevator, we made it to the top floor. At the end of the corridor were two large, beautifully carved doors. Aiden ran up to it, still holding Ash's hand. When everyone else arrived Aiden looked excited and said "Come on everyone." We all looked at him when he pushed on one of the doors and it creaked open. Everyone walked inside and gasped. It was a giant room with 2 lounges and a table in the middle. There was a huge rectangular window at the end of the room starting at the floor and ending at the roof. Light was pouring into the space as I just stood there, eyes closed, soaking up the rays.

I felt someone touch my arm after a moment and opened my eyes. "You in there kid?" asked Sabine.

"Yeah, just enjoying the sun," I said with a smile.

She nodded and said "I know right. It's beautiful!"

I walked over to Kanan who was now standing at the window, looking out at the city beneath them. "It's amazing isn't it?" I asked my master who was staring into the abyss. He just nodded. Ash came up beside us and placed a hand on the glass. "Missed it?" she asked Kanan with a sigh.

"Yeah… but it was different back then…" Kanan replied sadly.

I looked up at Ash, her silver eyes shining but… empty. That's when I remembered. She couldn't see. While we were all here enjoying the view, she had no view to enjoy. I said to myself '_It must be hard to be blind….'_

As if reading my thoughts Ash put a hand on my shoulder and said "You have no idea kid." The tension was broken when Aiden stood beside a bed in the corner and said "Ash! Come here." We all walked over to him as he pulled out something from behind his back. It was something covered in cloth and he put it in Ash's hands. She took the cover off to reveal two lightsabers and a neckless. Kanan and Ash gasped at the same time and Kanan asked slowly "Are those what I think they are?!"

Ash nodded numbly and held one carefully in her hand. "It's the family swords…" Suddenly a black blade shot out from the handle with a triumphant sound. It looked different to a regular lightsaber and had an electric sensation to it. Ash smiled and then handed the other one to Kanan. Her expression became very serious as she said "This one… it's for you, you know? Why don't you give it a shot… brother?" Kanan lifted a shaking hand and grabbed it. He examined it for a moment before activating it, revealing a white, electric blade. Ash and Aiden smiled while everyone else gasped. "Ash…" Kanan stuttered. "It's….It's amazing. Everything is amazing! I don't know what to say…" Ash swung hers around with beauty and grace. "You can keep it… it is yours after all," she said as Aiden grabbed the neckless and put it over her head, onto her neck. Kanan smiled but then pulled out his lightsaber. He stared at both of them in his hands and finally said "No…This belongs to you." He held out his hand with the now deactivated lightsaber. Ash took the sword and said "If you say so."

She activated both and started to show some of her skills. Everyone was amazed. She had recovered so quickly over that month she was with us. She was practically dancing and her swords were just a blur of white and black. She stopped and laughed. "Feels good to be back!"

Aiden laughed and walked over to the window. "I'm glad to have you back," he said joyfully. I stood beside Aiden and asked "Why do you all look like birds?" He just laughed and said "Wanna find out?" I nodded and he bent down. I jumped on his back and he stood up. "Hold on!" He said as the world suddenly rushed upward and we rocketed to the roof. I screamed as a natural reaction and we flew out a hole in the roof. I clenched my eyes shut as the wind whipped my face. Suddenly everything calmed and I felt like I was floating. I opened my eyes slowly to see we were gently gliding above the city. "Woah…" I exclaimed.

Aiden chuckled. "Enjoying the view?"

"Y-yeah!" I saw the city below me and the sun slowly setting on the horizon. Aiden turned slightly as the castle came back into view. Aiden outstretched his arms, his metal wings following him as his jet boots turned off. We were just floating back towards the roof and we descended back into the room. Kanan ran to my side and put both of his hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. I laughed and said "Yeah! That was awesome!" My master smiled and ruffled my blue hair that was standing up in all directions.

Once I had patted my hair back to normal, Aiden said "Maybe another time I'll show you how to _properly_ use our armour."

I nodded and he turned to Ash. "Ash, the people are going to be so glad you're here for Hope day!"

Ash smiled and said sarcastically "Yeah. As if you could run the ceremony by yourself."

"I could! On second thought…. Nah you're right," Aiden said in a cocky tone.

"Hope day?" Hera interrupted.

Aiden smiled and explained, "Five years ago tomorrow, the Freedom Fighters liberated the whole of Edross. We celebrate it every year! It's a huge milestone for us. Ash and I do a ceremony at night and in the morning I have to get up at dawn to go to the small villages around the planet." He climbed up a ladder that led to a small platform with a bed on it. He collapsed on it and said in a sarcastic tone "Whoopee for me."

Ash ran up to Kanan and jumped on his back but he reacted quickly and caught her so she was having a piggy back ride. "Ha. That's not the first time you've done that!" Kanan smirked.

Ash laughed and Aiden sat up. "You should attend the ceremony Kanan," he said in an excited voice.

"Yeah! The people would love to see you too!" Ash said as she got off of Kanan's back.

"Why?" Kanan asked.

Aiden said "Some people celebrate you too you know? They call you the…"

"Aiden!" Ash interrupted.

"They call me what?" Kanan asked. I was curious too.

"Ash it's fine," Aiden reassured her. "Many say we are 'the pinnacles of hope'. 'The Burning Fire', AKA me. 'The New Dawn', also known as Ash and some even celebrate someone else. They call him 'The Lost One'…That's you."

There was a bit of tension in the air. I looked at my master who was staring blankly into nothing. Through the force I could sense his confusion and disbelief. "I don't…. understand…" he mumbled. "Why would they celebrate me? I didn't even do anything."

Aiden nodded at Ash. "She's your reason. When people heard of her undying hope to find you, they too joined in and saw you as an important part to our culture."

Kanan went and sat down on one of the lounges. He sighed. "This is a lot to take in."

Aiden frowned and said "I'm sorry to overload you like that… maybe we should all just have dinner, relax a little. There will be time to catch up later."

My stomach growled. It had been a while since we'd eaten because we had low credits but that's why we were here I guess. "I want food!" I said.

"Yeah me too!" Sabine agreed.

Aiden smiled and said "Well then let's go eat!"

Everyone headed for the door except for Kanan, who was still stuck in a trance. "You comin' master?" I asked. He turned his head towards me and said "You go on ahead, I'll catch up. I just need some time…to think…" I nodded and left him in peace. Everything was happening so fast, especially for him. There was so much to process but I was sure there was more in store for us…

* * *

**Hey guys! It's been a while huh? I got back from my camp 2 days ago and thought I should update this story! I really like it and I already have a story line in motion. What do you guys think of it? I love to read your reviews so go ahead and write one!**

** If you think Kanan and Ezra should have a father son relationship you should check out my other fanfic: "O' Son of Mine". If you want a cool story about Sabine's parents, go check out A M3mb3r123. And if you want star wars rebels stories in general go check out JediRebelWriter! They are both really good authors so go check them out! As always, may the force be with you!**

**-Superherotiger**

**P.s What do you think of the new cover for Family Ties? Do you like this one, or the old one better? Tell me, I love to hear your opinions!**


	11. What Once Was

**Okay, so it's only going to be a short one but I hope you still enjoy!**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

It was the middle of the night. I shifted slightly on the couch, trying to find a more comfortable position. I looked over at Zeb who was lying on the spare bed, snoring like his life depended on it. Ezra was curled up into a ball under the blankets and Hera was sleeping on the spare mattress they had. Since the Freedom Fighters weren't used to having guests, they had to improvise a little. Sabine and I had volunteered to sleep on their two lounges while Ash and Aiden went to their usually beds. Dinner had been good and we all got along really well. Of course Ash's force vision could only go to a certain extent, which is why I always found myself guiding her hand towards food on the plate and that seemed to spark Aiden's curiosity. He seemed curious but also polite. When he was comfortable around someone, he liked to joke a bit and play around. _Sounds like Ash's type…_

I sat up slightly to get a better view of the room. The reason I was up was just by instinct. It was around this time that Ash would get her nightmares and I wasn't sure how well it would go with everyone in the room to witness it. I was surprised to see that Ash wasn't in her bed, and was actually sitting at the large window, moonlight shining off her face. She had her half of the family neckless in her hand, examining it carefully. "I don't understand…" she mumbled under her breathe, barely audible. I stayed quiet. I felt like I shouldn't interrupt.

She continued, speaking quietly. "I found Caleb and brung hope to the people… so why do I feel so… _empty?_"

She sighed. It was obvious she hadn't fully recovered yet. A hollow feeling was still inside of her. I watched her for a moment, to see if she would continue. After a minute, she spoke loud but not enough to wake the others "I know you're awake."

Assuming she was talking to me, I was about to sit up before I heard Aiden speak. "I didn't want to disturb you," he said gently, climbing down from his perch. What he was wearing seemed different, more shiny and for show. The armour didn't have any visible blaster marks or dints. "I have to go soon to do the ceremonies for the smaller tribes," he said, adjusting the strap on his arm. Ash stood up as he walked up to her. Aiden gave her a warm smile, not that she could see it. "I'll try and get back as soon as possible."

Ash nodded blankly. Aiden frowned and put his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to do the ceremony this morning if you don't want to. The people will understand."

Ash shook her head. "It's not that," she said quietly.

Aiden pulled her into a hug and said "I have to go."

They stood there for a second before he pulled away. He entwined his fingers with hers and said "And don't be too hard on yourself. You've gone through a lot." With that, Aiden kissed her on the forehead and opened the window, proceeding to jump out and jet off onto the horizon. My sister stood there for a second before sighing and heading for the door. I watched silently. Just before she exited the room she froze. "Get some sleep Caleb. It's going to be a long day tomorrow," she said, before leaving silently. I don't know how she knew I was awake but I closed my eyes. I really wished there was some way to help fix her but she was still broken. As if she was just an empty shell of what was once there. Something still sparked with in her though. Something desperate to be fuelled. And it was our job to make sure that spark became a fire. The fire that should have been there the whole time…

* * *

**Hey guys! Wow, it's been ages since I've done this one, at least it feels that way! I hope you enjoyed the chapter though and are excited for the next one! Remember to check out some of my other stories too! :D may the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**


	12. Property of the Empire

**Wow! It's been a while huh? Anyways, enjoy the chapter! :D**

* * *

Sabine's POV

* * *

I was painting on the wall of the large room. It was about 4 thirty and I had been working on this painting for an hour. Zeb and Ezra were playing holochess, Aiden was sleeping and Ash, Kanan and Hera were talking with each other. Earlier, Ash had given us a tour of the city. It was amazing! Everyone was so peaceful and calm. I haven't seen a place like this in well… _ever_!

There was a knock at the large door and everyone turned to look. "Come in," Ash called. The door creaked open and a girl walked in. She was wearing a faint blue, furry cape and had blue tinted armour. Unlike the bird armour worn by other soldiers, she had a wolf mask on that covered the top half of her head, leaving only her eyes and mouth visible. "Ash?!" she gasped.

"Charlotte?!" Ash stood up.

They both ran at each other and hugged. When they pulled away, they did a secret handshake and laughed. "I can't believe it! You're alive!" Charlotte rejoiced.

Ash laughed. "Ha. Of course I'm alive!"

Everyone came over to be greeted. "Charlotte, this is Kanan and his crew," Ash said, motioning to the older jedi. Everyone shook hands as Charlotte said "It's nice to meet you all. I assume you're coming to the Hope day night festival."

"We'll be there," Kanan said.

"And you are?" Ezra stepped forward.

Charlotte took her mask off. She had short black hair and big brown eyes. "The name's Charlotte. I'm one of the Freedom Fighters commanding generals under Ash and Aiden. I was off doing a campaign on another planet but when I heard Ash was alive, I couldn't help but come see for myself!"

"She's also my best friend," Ash added.

Charlotte looked around and asked "Where's Aiden?"

"Take a wild guess," Ash smirked.

Charlotte ran up to Aiden's platform and shook him. "Wake up!" She yelled playfully. He let out a groan. "You've got to get ready for the ceremony sleepy head," Ash said.

Begrudgingly, Aiden got up and stretched. "Fine," he moaned.

"Dibs on this room," Charlotte said.

Aiden rolled his eyes and walked towards the door. "All males, come with me."

"Why?" Ezra asked.

Aiden grinned. "If I have to get up and get ready for the ceremony, all of you have to as well."

I pushed Ezra playfully and said "Just do it."

With that, Aiden, Kanan, Ezra and Zeb left the huge area to us. "So what are _we_ doing?" Hera asked.

"Getting ready," Ash said.

"I'm already ready, but I can help you guys if you want," Charlotte offered.

For 15 minutes, we were getting ready. Hera had helped Ash get dressed into her outfit and Charlotte said that my armour was colourful enough for the ceremony. Charlotte had taken Hera somewhere to find her a dress while Ash and I sat in the large room. "Mind if I do your hair?" I asked.

She smiled warmly. "Sure. Just don't dye it or anything," she joked.

I sat behind her and experimented with it. It was so soft and silky. I pulled her hair into two groups to start plating, but then something caught my eye. Something on Ash's neck. I brushed the hair out of the way and gasped. There, branded onto her neck with bold letters was the words:

**_PROPTERY OF THE EMPIRE_**

**_Return if found_**

Ash quickly pulled away and put her hand over it. She looked… ashamed. I was about to say something when she said "You can't tell _anyone_ about this! Okay?!"

All I did was nod numbly. "W-What is that?" I asked, slightly shaken.

She sighed. "It was a taunt, to make me feel worthless." Her voice was tinged with sorrow as she stared at me with lifeless, silver eyes.

I put a hand on her shoulder, snapping out of my shock. "You don't actually believe that do you?"

She looked away and said, her voice shaky "Sabine… they did… _terrible_ things to me. There's some things that I don't even tell Caleb… this is one of them."

"Did you… um… want to talk about it?" I asked awkwardly. I immediately regretted it. No _way_ she would talk about something so personal!

"Maybe… it's time I told someone," she sighed, looking down.

I was shocked. That wasn't the answer I was expecting but I just rolled with it. "It was two weeks before they blinded me," she explained. "There used to be a tattoo there that said 'Hope always prevails'. It was a quote my mother always used to say…" she drifted for a moment before continuing. "They came in and with a knife, cut the tattoo off."

My gut twisted and I couldn't help but ask "D-did it hurt?"

She gave me a weak smile. "Nothing like you could imagine." Her expression went dark. "But then… they… um…" Her words were getting stuck in her throat and I could see tears forming in her eyes. Then, very quietly, she spoke "Then… they branded those words onto the raw flesh."

I felt like I was going to puke at the thought. "Ash… that's horrible…" I pulled her into a tight hug. At first, she was tense, but quickly relaxed into my embrace. "No matter what anyone says or does, you're always special to us," I said encouragingly. "Thank you Sabine," she replied, placing her hands around my back. "_Thank you…"_

* * *

**I thought it would be interesting to do a chapter about Ash and Sabine because Ash has different bonds with everyone in the crew. The idea of the branding has been in my head for a while now so I decided to put it in. What'd you think of the chapter? I love to read your reviews! :D May the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**


	13. The Hope Day Festival

**Here it is, a new chapter! Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with my other stories. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Q/A's and Reactions:**

**Rebeakahhniang- Thanks, and no I haven't seen teen beach 2. Enjoy! :D**

**Rebekah- Yeah, sorry about that. Since 'Family Ties' gets the least support out of all my stories, it kind of gets pushed to the bottom of the priorities list. Sorry, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :D**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

Ezra, Zeb and I sat on the chairs on the stage. Aiden had gone because he was about to start the ceremony and the girls were still nowhere to be seen. The stars were sprinkling the black and purple sky as the moon rose on the horizon. Hundreds of people flooded the streets, talking and chatting until it begun. "Where do you think the girls are?" my padawan asked. He had agreed to wear a traditional set of armour while I wore a dark green cape. Zeb had stuck with his usual outfit and Aiden was wearing that shiny armour I'd seen earlier. "I'm not sure," I replied. People started looking up and quietening down as Aiden jetted towards us. "Well hello everybody," he said, landing on the platform. "Now, I know this year hasn't been our best. We lost many lives. Sacrifices were made. Hope was beginning to fade…. But we prevailed!" The people cheered.

"Can we please have a moment of silence for those who gave their lives for our cause… for _freedom_," he said, bowing his head. An eerie and sacred silence filled the air as people paid their respects.

After that, Aiden continued. "Now, ten months ago, something tragic happened. Our beacon of hope was snatched from our grasp by the Empire," he spat.

The soldiers all growled at the mention the galactic Empire. "But, we never gave up hope," he continued. "We stayed strong in times of hardship, we stood by each other's side when things seemed rough and we spread our message of freedom throughout the outer rim. Finally, our hope has been returned!"

The people waited impatiently as a cloaked figure walked onto the stage. Stepping into the light, it revealed Ash in all her prime. The crowd broke out in joy as the soldiers let out loud calls of birds. She smiled and walked to beside Aiden. "It's good to be back!" she said when people quietened down.

"How long has it been since I was here?" she asked, walking along the edge of the platform.

"Too long!" someone in the crowd yelled. Everyone else laughed and cheered.

Ash giggled. "I agree. But here's a more difficult question. What makes all of you, different from me?"

Everyone was silent for a moment. "You have the force," someone said.

"Hmm. No," Ash said cryptically, hopping down into the crowd. "Any ideas? Don't be afraid."

"You can fight?" someone suggested.

She shook her head, walking deeper into the ocean of people. A small girl ran up to her and tugged on her cloak. "Do you have any ideas?" she asked, bending down.

"Um… is it… _nothing_?" the girl asked nervously.

Some people in the crowd laughed, knocking the confidence out of the child. Ash picked the girl up. "I love the mind of a child, don't you?" she said to the crowd. "Because, they often see things that adults cannot." Those who had laughed before stopped and watched, slightly confused. She walked back to the platform, carrying the child.

"Adults are _always_ too busy. Wrapped up in a world of thought they can't seem to escape. What should I have for dinner? When will this war end? Is this worth the effort? Left or right? Yes or no?" Everyone remained silent.

"The fact is, I am no different to any of you. Yes, we may be unique, but we all want the same thing. We want freedom, and hope, and _peace_."

Murmurs of agreement echoed through the crowd. "So, why don't we take tonight to have a little fun? Relax and enjoy the time we have with each other? Take a step back from our worries and think like..." she looked at the girl in her arms and smiled. "Like a child."

Music started to play as the crowd cheered. Ash let the child down, then skipped over to us. "Come on!" she laughed, grabbing my hands and pulling me up. "Do what?" I asked.

"Dance!" she smiled, starting to dance to the catchy music.

I stood still. "I don't know how," I muttered.

She frowned. "Okay, let me show you," she said, holding my arms. I mimicked the action and watched her movements. "Now, when I step forward, you step back," she instructed, doing some basic steps. I mirrored her every move and started to dance to the rhythm. "There you go! You're a natural," Ash smiled, her silver eyes beaming with joy. "Now what?" I asked.

"Have fun!" she smirked, pushing me away.

I stumbled into someone. "Oh, sorry," I said turning around. My eyes widened when I realised it was Hera. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and her eyes sparkled as fireworks were rocketed into the sky, exploding in a colourful burst. I was at a loss for words.

She smiled as her cheeks blushed. "You look nice," she said quietly, adverting her gaze.

"Y-You look great," I stuttered. Clearing my throat, I asked "May I have this dance?"

She raised a brow, but smiled and took my hands in hers. We did a slower paced dance as more fireworks were set off. I saw everyone in the crowd starting to dance as well. Even Sabine, Ezra and Zeb had gotten up to enjoy the music. In the corner of my eye, I saw Ash dancing with Aiden. She was laughing and her faced gleamed with joy. I had never seen her so happy. I realised quickly that this was who she _was._ This was the Ash that Aiden and the Freedom Fighters knew. And for a moment, I saw that lively, energetic child from 20 years ago come out again…

* * *

**Hey guys! Don't worry, this isn't the end of the 'Hope Day' festival. I have a continuing chapter planned but for now, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Have a great day and may the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**

**P.S The music that appears in this chapter is 'Rather Be' by Clean Bandit.**


	14. Eternally Even

**Hey guys! How long has it been?... 'last updated 13th of July'?! Wow! It _has_ been a long time, hasn't it?! XD Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter then! May the force be with you, always!**

**Q/A's and Reactions:**

**Ichichi05- I'm glad you like it! ;D**

**Guest- Her name is just Ash. There's a reason behind that, but it'll get explained later. ;D Enjoy the chapter!**

**Rebeakahniang- I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Sorry that it took me so long to update though. XD**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

The moon was high above, shining its rays on the streets below. Lights had been strung between buildings, adding to the sky's faint glow. Stars pepper the sky and the streets remained quiet. Many people had left after the celebration to sleep, but Ash, Aiden, Hera and I were still out and about, casually strolling through the streets. "Of course, things have been difficult for a while now, but we get through it," Aiden explained, his face darkening.

Ash walked beside him, their arms linked. "Hopefully things will get back on track soon," she smiled.

He nodded, eyes vacant.

"How have you managed to keep such a large organisation hidden?" Hera inquired.

Snapping out of a small trance, he grinned and said "Well, back when Ash was first taken captive, we went into hiding. The Empire believed we had broken up after capturing our leader, but they were wrong. We gained more and more allies secretly and created what we are today."

Hera's eyes sparkled at the thought, but was unable to contain a yawn. "I could take you back to the room Hera," Ash suggested.

"Maybe that's for the best," she replied, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

"Don't worry," Aiden smirked. "By your third festival it will be _much_ easier to stay awake."

The girls laughed and turned to walk towards the castle. Before we could follow, Ash stopped us and said "I was hoping you guys could get to know each other. You might be surprised by how alike you are."

I exchanged a glance with Aiden, the nervousness surfacing in his eyes. I couldn't blame him. We hardly knew anything about each other, besides the fact we were extremely important to Ash. "Come on guys, just give it a shot," she smiled confidently.

Aiden gave a sharp nod and replied "If it pleases you."

"Don't worry, he won't bite," she smirked. "Unless you talk about speeder bikes."

"Ash!" I groaned, massaging circles into my temples.

She laughed and punch my shoulder. "I'm just joking. Anyways, see you two soon!"

With that, the girls walked down the road, leaving Aiden and I to stand there awkwardly. Silence descended upon us until they were out of view and Aiden shuffled on his feet nervously, as if expecting them to come back. When he realised they wouldn't be returning any time soon, he sighed and shot me a warm smile. Neither of us knew who should start the conversation first, until I asked "So, how did you meet Ash?"

"Well, it's a funny story actually," he started, strolling down another street as I followed him. "As you may know, Edross still ran off the slave system by the time the Empire came along. Ash, who had been stealing from a market stall ran into me… literally." He chuckled, before continuing. "She ran off, but I was able to follow her. And though she was half starved herself, she gave the last of her rations to an orphan in the streets. It was the _kindest_ thing I'd ever seen anyone do."

"That's when I decided to see if she'd join me. She could be _very_ handy to my team of freedom fighters that I was forming at the time. But, she declined. Saying she was on a mission to find someone very important to her," he explained.

_She declined the opportunity to find me?_ "She told me she joined you though," I stated, a bit confused.

"Oh she did… eventually," he smirked. "One day, she got a bit too close to the authorities, which ended in her capture. They made her a slave to the king. Became a slave one day, and dethroned the system the next," he chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"She destroyed the entire system?!" I gawked in awe.

He grinned with pride. "Yep. It was a full on slave revolt, with my aid of course. How she managed to muster every slave and servant in the castle in one night is still beyond me though," he smirked, eyes glazed over as if watching a memory. He became silent as we walked down the streets. Nothing was heard but our footsteps and a nearby water fountain. The streets were lined with lanterns, a healthy glow emanating from the city. "You must be very proud of your people," I said after a while, finally breaking the silence.

He nodded. "Extremely. Though we couldn't have done it without great generals like Charlotte and my brother Daniel keeping an eye on them. But in the end, it was probably Ash who brought us all together. It must be great to have a sister like her."

"Yeah," I smiled. "It is."

That all too familiar silence descended upon us as we continued walking. One of the soldiers jetted over us as I asked curiously "Where did you get the inspirations for your armour?"

Aiden smiled and replied "My younger brother, Blade. He used to have a pet bird called Cronix. While Blade was a calm, serene peacekeeper, Cronix was an energetic warrior. I guess the two balanced each other out." He chuckled, but his smile quickly faded.

"Is he… still alive?" I probed.

He looked up at me and gave a weak smile. "No, he died when the Empire took over," he explained.

Something sparked in my memory as I asked "Wait, was he the Jedi?"

Aiden nodded, brown eyes vacant. "Yeah. I assume Ash told you?"

"Only a little," I said respectfully.

He nodded in gratitude as we continued walking. As we strolled down the street leading to the palace, I realised beautifully carved scenes on the sides of houses. One had what looked like Ash and Aiden fighting back to back while surrounded by storm troopers while another showed the bird like warriors fighting in groups of three against a hoard of Imperials. "Our people are warriors, Kanan," Aiden said, a hint of pain in his voice. I turned to him and waited for him to continue.

"We were once proud. We weren't afraid to take the Empire head on and we made sure everyone knew about it. But when they captured Ash…" his voice hitched at the end. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A cool breeze drifted by when Aiden continued, very quietly "We all know the risks of being rebels. Death, loss, separation. We'd lost many lives before in this battle for freedom, but everyone just… _shattered_, when Ash was captured."

I nodded in understanding. "I can imagine."

He looked up, haunted eyes watching me closely. "That's why I want to thank you, for bringing her back," he said, voice a bit more cheerer. "We are forever in your debt, and if you ever need any help, you know who to contact." He pounded his chest once with his fist and did a small bow.

"And thank you," I replied. "Ash told us all your stories. You don't know how glad I was when I heard you'd helped her. And for that, I am forever in _your_ debt."

He smirked. "Let's just say for now that we're eternally even," he chuckled, extending his arm in a handshake. I looked at his hand and smiled, willingly shaking it. "Deal."


	15. Let's take a walk

**Hey guys! Don't fret, I haven't forgotten about this story! :D Sorry it's taken ****_so_**** long, I really did mean to update it, but I'd lost motivation. But, I've regained it again, and I have some really great ideas for upcoming chapters! So I hope you enjoy this chapter, on day 4 of my 'Super Marathon'! :D May the force be with you, always!**

**Q/A's and Reactions:**

**SWFangirl- I'm actually planning for a Ezra/Aiden chapter on the next one. ;D Enjoy the chapter though, and sorry for the long wait! :D**

**Rebekahtpe- Sorry you had to wait so long, and thank you for always reminding me! It actually helps a lot, so whenever I forget to update after like, a month or so, just send me a reminder so I get working on it again. ;D**

**Carly Marley- I'm so glad you like it! :D**

**Guest- Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Ash's POV

* * *

Darkness.

Nothing out of the ordinary for me.

But something felt… _wrong_. As I pushed out with the force, I sensed nothing. No-one. It was a void. A dim light started to appear as I floated through an abyss. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to steal?" a cocky voice taunted.

Shadows formed into shapes as a bright light shone on the world. "Sorry, I didn't hear that. What'd you say?" a cold voice replied.

Buildings and colour faded into my vision as I made out the streets of Edross. Or at least, what it _used_ to be like before Aiden and I stepped in. "Uh," a nervous voice stuttered. I turned around to see a tan young teenager with scruffy black hair. A chocolate brown gaze was fixed on the girl in front of him. Long black hair was twisted into a braid as she whirled her brown cloak confidently. I smirked. No one could forget this day.

"I-I said didn't your parents ever t-teach you not to steal?" the man repeated, with less confidence this time.

The girl just smirked and flicked her fringe out of her eyes. "Sorry golden child, but everyone has to eat at some time," she grinned.

The boy looked surprised, and mumbled "W-What do you mean?"

As if answering his question, a small little girl peered around the older teen's legs. The child's ribs were visible through her much too small shirt, dirt speckling her innocent face. The man's eyes widened as the older girl handed the orphan a yogan. The little girl smiled and ran off down an alley. It was silent between the two for a moment as they watched the child disappear into the shadows. "Who are you?" the man asked curiously.

The girl raised a brow, folding her arms heavily. "What's it to you?" she snapped.

"It's just…" he started. "That was really kind."

She frowned. "So poor people can't be kind?"

"No, no, I didn't mean that," he defended quickly, raising his hands in surrender. "But, if you need a place to hunker down for the night… you could… stay at my house for the night…? But only if you want to," he sighed, watching her with expectant eyes.

The girl looked surprised. "R-Really?" she gawked.

He nodded, extending his arm in a friendly handshake. "I'm Aiden. You are?"

She stared at his hand blankly for a moment, before stepping forward and shaking it firmly. "The name's Ash," she grinned. "Ash Dume."

I smiled as everything began to dim again, until I was in complete darkness. Out of all my memories, that was one of the most vivid. It's where it all started. How I'd met Aiden and my life as a freedom fighter began.

Suddenly, a cold chill ran down my spine as the warmth in my heart froze. A dark presence blinded my senses and adrenaline began to rush. I looked around nervously, a spotlight pouring down from above. "Hello my dear," a voice as cold as ice taunted. I gasped and spun around, a figure lurking in the shadows. The voice was too familiar, and the presence too menacing. "T-This can't be happening!" I muttered to myself as the ugly Pau'an stepped into the light. "Long time no see," he grinned deviously. "Tell me, how is your blindness treating you?"

A growled sounded in my throat. "Stay back!" I barked, stumbling backwards. "This is just a dream! Y-You're dead!"

The Inquisitor let out a bone chilling chuckle, saying "I may be…"

"But _we_ aren't," two new voice finished, their voices echoing through the abyss.

Sweat began to form in my palms as two new figures stepped into the light, one muscular, reptile-like male and one masked female. Each were adorned with the same style clothing as the Inquisitor, their cold presence making me feel empty and stagnant. I stepped back nervously, staring at them with wide eyes. The male creature stepped forward, expression stoic as he said "Your pesky rebel friends will not be able to run for long. Soon, I shall have your brother's lightsaber as a trophy."

The female stepped forward, continuing with a robotic voice "And we'll make sure he watches his padawan's death as I stab my blade through his chest."

"And don't forget the whereabouts of the shrine," the first Inquisitor pointed out. "Prying that out of her will _surely_ get you two a promotion."

All three smiled, shifting their malicious glaze to me. I swallowed the lump in my throat, twisting on my heel and running in the opposite direction. Fear was swarming around me like a storm, the darkness shrouding my vision as I ran. Suddenly, I heard taunting laughter slice through the silence, something clamping onto my right arm tightly. I turned to see what it was, trying to pull the metal contraption off my arm. The chain began to tug and drag me back in the direction of the Inquisitors. "Going somewhere?" the creature's voice asked teasingly.

I groaned, digging my heels into the ground and trying to release my restraint. Then, another clamp on my other wrist, pulling me back into the darkness. "No!" I screamed desperately, grinding my teeth as I tried to resist. Clanking, metal sounds echoed from ahead, when suddenly another chain whipped out of the shadows and wrapped around my neck. With all three pulling at once, I fell to the ground and slid across the floor helplessly.

All of a sudden, the air became stale and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I gasped, but no oxygen relieved my lungs. The chains stopped tugging, and my muscles felt heavy and sluggish. I reached up and tried to release the chain around my neck, only to find my arm submerged in water. When I opened my mouth, water flooded inside, bubbles erupting and floating upwards. My eyes widened as I tried to claw my way to the surface. But with every push I only became more exhausted, my blood on fire and my lungs constricting. And finally, I couldn't fight any more, so I just floated aimlessly in the thick water. My eyes were beginning to slide shut, my lips parting and finally allowing the water entrance into my system.

And just when I thought it was over, two firm hands grasped my shoulders and dragged me out of the water. I coughed and chocked when the sweet sensation of air hit my skin, crawling onto my hands and knees and wheezing in pain. Once I'd recovered, I opened my eyes and glanced around, surprised to see the beautiful pine forests of Edross up ahead. Lush green grass was everywhere, a river flowing peacefully behind me. I wiped the water off my face and sat down heavily on the soft soil, looking around to see who had saved me. But no one was in sight. "Hello?" I called out, a flock of birds soaring out of the trees.

I listened carefully, allowing the serene sounds and surroundings to fill my senses. Inhaling sharply, my tense muscles finally relaxed. A small smile pulled at my lips. Something about this place made me feel so alive and calm. Like I was _meant_ to be here.

Suddenly, faint laughter sounded from further down the river. Pushing myself up, I walked over to investigate. While I walked alongside the glistening river, the sound of water crashing against water mixed with laughter became clearer. The river began to widen until it formed into a large, circular reserve. A small waterfall was flowing towards one side, the floor of the pond tiled with smooth stone. The water was crystal clear, glinting from the sun's rays. It really made you just want to jump in and have a splash.

But before its beauty could tempt me in, I heard someone splash around in the water. Turning my head, I stared at the young girl who was swimming about, a wide smile plastered on her face as she watched the water intently. "C'mon! Where'd you go?" she grinned, her black hair dripping and her brown eyes glowing.

I tilted my head slightly, a dark shape shifting in the water from behind the girl. Suddenly, the water erupted and the girl let out a surprised yelp, getting lifted into the air from a young boy with soaking brown hair and joyful teal orbs. They both laughed childishly as the boy roared and dunked her under the surface. Not a moment later, the girl appeared again and rubbed her eyes, splashing the boy and laughing "No fair! Caleb, that's cheating!"

It twigged in my mind that this was another memory, so I watched the scene with new found amusement. "Aw, come on Ash. I'm just joking around," Caleb chuckled, walking towards the shore and ringing his damp hair out.

The younger me followed close behind, climbing up onto shore and shaking her hair like a dog. Caleb had grabbed a towel and draped it loosely over his shoulders, before walking over to Ash with a spare one and ruffling her hair. Ash laughed, grasping onto the cloth and wrapping it around her frame tightly. Caleb smiled, patting her back and saying "Come on. Lunch should be ready by now."

Ash nodded, both of them gathering their possessions and heading for the clearing's edge. I quickly followed after them, walking behind them as they trudged through the forest. I couldn't actually remember this, but it seemed like a very pleasant time. My younger self only seemed to be about 6 or 7, which would have made Caleb almost 9 years old. The two didn't seem to notice me as I walked behind them. It's like I wasn't there at all… which technically, I wasn't.

After a small trek, we all stepped through the forest outskirts, the sun pummelling down on us and a light wind brushing through the lush, green grass. If I remembered correctly, our home was only a ten minute journey away, a relatively simple stroll through the fields.

But suddenly, a large ship soared overhead, causing the wind to pick up and letting off an ear-bursting sound. The three of us clamped our hands over our ears, Caleb placing an arm over Ash protectively. The ship seemed to be going in the direction of our house, which immediately caused Caleb to worry. He grasped little-Ash's hand and ran through the field quickly. "Let's go see what's going on," he said while leading her back to the house.

I made sure to follow close behind, starting to wonder what was going on as well. The usual ten minute journey turned to a three minute sprint as the simple mud-clay house appeared on the hill. Beside the building was a Republic craft, and as we got closer, I saw Mum and a man who I realised was our father talking to another man and a soldier. Caleb frowned, whispering "Let's go through the back."

But Ash shrugged away and stared at them with wide, curious eyes. "No," she protested, running closer towards the four. "Let's go meet them!"

"Ash!" Caleb hissed, running after her. I tailed behind as my past-self burst into the conversation, standing at the two stranger's feet and climbing up their legs. "Ash!" Mum snapped, trying to pry the young child off the confused visitors. But she was persistent, clawing her way up the soldier until she was perched on his shoulders. The trooper didn't know what to do really, trying to tug her off his helmet. "Uh, help! Anyone?!" he said nervously.

Caleb ran forward, wrapping his arms around Ash's waist and dragging her away till they were standing beside Mum and Dad. "S-Sorry," he mumbled, still restraining Ash to make sure she didn't try anything else. Both kids stared up at the two strangers with wide eyes.

I shifted my attention to the new comers. The clone was recovering slowly, dusting his shoulder off and trying to regain his posture. Beside him, a male Kel Dor in dark brown robes waited patiently with his arms folded regally. "I assume these are your children?" he asked, voice altered from the device on his mouth.

Dad frowned, placing an arm protectively in front of Ash and Caleb. I took a moment to take in my father's features. I never really remembered much about him, Mum telling me that he left when I was younger. He had tan skin and was wearing brown clothes with black armour plating on his shoulders, knees and chest. His black, short hair was spiked up, piercing green eyes narrowed at the Kel Dor intimidatingly. "Master Plo Koon, I thought I made it clear that I wasn't going to share the whereabouts of the sacred shrine," he spat, voice cold.

The man called 'Plo Koon' sighed, replying "I was hoping you had changed your mind. The Jedi council-"

"Have no say in this," Dad cut him off. "It is a family secret. They do not decide who enters the force's sanctuary. _I_ do."

"But those infused crystals could save thousands of lives," the Jedi reasoned. "Our lightsabers would be twice as powerful as a sith's and we could finally destroy the dark side."

Dad's brows furrowed, his lips shifting into a scowl. "See, that is why you don't deserve the knowledge," he growled. He pulled the neckless around his neck off and held it up, revealing it to be the two halves that older-Caleb and I possessed. "Balance," Dad said, gesturing to the symbol. "These are two opposites that make up a whole. One cannot exist without the other. Just as there can't be darkness without light, there cannot be light without darkness."

Dad clipped the neckless back on, finishing "_That_, is why I won't reveal the shrine to your precious Jedi Council."

Plo Koon nodded in understand, giving a slight bow of respect. "If that is your wish," he said. "But that is not the reason I'm here."

Dad, Mum, Caleb, little-me and myself became very confused. "Why are you here then?" Mum asked cautiously.

The Jedi pointed a finger towards little Caleb and Ash, saying "Their tests for force-sensitivity are long overdue. The Jedi Council don't usually accept children of these ages, but they are willing to make an exception."

Mum wrapped her arm around Caleb's shoulder while he still clutched Ash tightly in his arms. Dad stepped forward, asking "And if they are? What will happen?" All four of them seemed worried and slightly afraid.

Plo Koon folded his arms and answered "If they are indeed force sensitive, they are to be taken to the temple and trained immediately."

"You're taking them away?" Mum asked nervously.

He nodded. "But only if the results are positive."

Mum and Dad exchanged nervous glances, Caleb gazing up at our parents with concerned eyes. "Caleb," little-Ash whispered, fear tinging her voice. "What's going on?"

Caleb glanced down at his little sister who was still wrapped protectively in his arms. "I-I… don't know," he replied quietly, expression softening.

Dad turned back to Plo Koon, testing "And what if we don't want them to be trained in your ways?"

"The Jedi Council has the authority to remove a force sensitive child from their families, whether the family approves or disapproves," he explained.

"So what?! You'll take them by force?!" Dad barked aggressively, hands clenching.

"We don't want any trouble. Please, just allow us to complete the test," the Jedi master said while pulling out a small device. "I just need a small blood sample."

"No!" Dad protested, grasping Caleb's shoulder tightly. "These are _my_ children! And I won't let you take them away!"

The trooper patted his gun casually while Plo Koon folded his arms heavily. "The children _will_ be tested. And if necessary, we will call for reinforcements."

Dad seemed furious, his face twisting and teeth baring. He twisted on his heel, storming off into the house with his cape whirling behind him. Mum sighed, pulling both Caleb and Ash into her arms. Bending down, she said quietly "Kids, show the Jedi your arms."

Reluctantly, the two extended their hands out, the master bending down and using the device on Caleb's arm. "Ow!" he yelped, blood starting to drip out of the small cut. Plo Koon wiped the blood off and placed it in a sterile bag, before turning to Ash and doing the same. He stood up, handing the trooper the two bags. "Go run a scan on these samples and then tell me the results," he said calmly.

The clone nodded, running over towards their craft and disappearing inside. "I wish it hadn't been this way," a voice spoke from behind. I jumped, turning around and staring into my father's piercing green eyes. His expression was sorrowful, walking up to beside me and watching the scene with hollow eyes. "You were so young back then. Caleb too," he laughed sadly. "Or maybe I should call him _'Kanan'_ now, huh?"

I glanced around, wondering if he was actually talking to me. I wasn't supposed to be seen. It was just a memory. I wasn't actually here, and none of the others seemed to notice any of this.

Dad turned to me and smiled, saying "I bet you're a bit confused."

I hesitated, before nodding slowly. Guilt glazed over his green eyes, shifting to face the Republic airship. "They would have taken both of you that day," he said quietly. Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. A figure slipped into the ship only a few moments after the clone had gone in. "But I switched your results with a sample of your Mother's blood," he finished.

My eyes widened. "What?!"

Dad continued to watch the craft, and after a few minutes, the cloaked figure ran back out and slunk back into the house without detection. Realisation hit me in full force. "Y-You switched our results… so they wouldn't take me away…"

He nodded solemnly, but anger started to bubble within me. "Why?! Why didn't you switch Caleb's too! Why just me?!" I demanded.

"I wanted to save him as well, but Caleb had a different blood type to your mother," he explained with a soft expression. "They would have been able to tell they were switched. And my blood would come up positive, so no use in that. But you… _you_ could be protected…"

"Protected?!" I snapped, throwing my hands up in the air. "You kept me here and split Caleb and I up!" Suddenly, another thought triggered in my mind, causing me only to become more furious. "You passed down the location of the temple to me and then ran off! Do you have any idea what that information has put me through!? What pain I've experienced because of the stupid _'family secret'_!"

Dad looked hurt, but the colours in my vision began to fade. The sky turned grey, and everyone in the memory froze in place. Fear started to seep in again, instinctively taking hold of my nerves. "Ash, I don't have much time. You need to take your brother back here and find the chest!" he called out desperately as the house drifted away like dust.

"Remind Caleb who he is, just like he reminded you who you are, Ash!" He yelled, eyes wide with fear. "Go back to the house and search inside yourself! It's the only way!"

Everything was beginning to be blown away by a powerful gust, Dad's voice getting drowned out by the howling wind. "Dad!" I called, reaching out for him, but a sudden sheet of darkness glazed over my vision. I was knocked off of my feet, falling down onto the soft soil and clamping my hands over my ears. The wind roared in my ear drums, before everything became still and silent. I opened my eyes, only to find it completely dark. At first I wondered if I was still dreaming, if I had returned to that endless void. So, I pushed out with the force, surprised to find 7 force signatures all sound asleep. _I must be awake again._

Leaning up, I could feel the soft blanket slide off of my body, and I could hear everything with great clarity. Zeb's snoring. A bed frame creaking. Someone shifting in their sleep. Even the sound of everyone's breathing, soft or loud.

I swung my legs over the side, before pushing myself onto my feet and stabilising myself. That dream had been strange. Of course, I was partly relieved it wasn't my usual nightmare, but I was still rattled by the experience. I knew I couldn't go back to sleep after seeing all of that, and I could feel the pull of the force urging me to go back to my old house.

But it didn't want me to go alone, and I knew it.

So, I slowly crept into the middle of the room, bending down beside one of the lounges and relaxing my mind. Glowing shapes began to brighten the darkness of my vision, each one representing a force signature. I glanced at Caleb's, which had more detail due to the bond we shared, and reached out for his shoulder. I shook him gently awake, whispering "Caleb, wake up."

There was a small groan, before the calming blue of his sleeping figure shifted into a yellow tinted orange. "Ash?" he asked quietly, a yawn escaping his lips. "What's wrong?"

"Shh. Just come with me," I cooed, grasping his wrist and pulling him up. "I need to take you somewhere."

"Where?" he quizzed groggily as I dragged him towards the door.

Squeezing his hand tightly and opening the door as quietly as possible, I replied "I'll explain when we get there. Just follow me."


	16. Breakfast with the Freedom Fighters

**Hello, hello, hello!**

**Can you believe we're already at the end of the Super Bomb?! Crazy right!**

**So I figured, what better way to end this marathon than with the story that started it all. I swear I haven't updated in like… a year, and for that I sincerely apologise! It probably wasn't my wisest idea to have 8 stories in progress at once, but hey, I was just being ambitious. :D**

**But I really hope that this chapter can make up for the long wait, and I'm going to make it my 2017 resolution to figure out a regular updating schedule for ****_all_**** my stories! :D**

**Enjoy the chapter guys, and may the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**

* * *

Ezra's POV

* * *

My eyelids slid open, the sun's rays bouncing from my eyes and surroundings. At first I wasn't sure where I was. It certainly didn't look like Zeb and I's room. But as I propped myself on my elbows and glanced around, I remembered everything that had happened. The Freedom Fighters. The Hope day festival. Ash. Aiden. Kanan.

As I took in the large area of the palace room, I saw that Zeb was still entranced in a deep slumber, while Sabine stirred slightly whenever the curtains shifted and the light hit her face. Hera was still sleeping peacefully on the spare mattress, bundled up in her blankets tightly, while Kanan's lounge was empty, the blankets thrown to the side with little care. Glancing over the other way, I realised that Ash's bed was also vacant. _Strange._

Movement caught my attention as a figure across from Ash's bed sat leaning against the window, a datapad in their hand. As my vision focused, I identified it to be Aiden who sat there peacefully. I debated whether or not if I should just go back to sleep, but my stomach released a loud protest, causing Aiden to glance up in surprise. We locked gazes, an awkward moment passing, until Aiden's expression softened into a warm smile. He spoke quietly so not to wake the others "You hungry?"

I hesitated, before nodding my head.

Pushing himself off the floor, Aiden silently wove his way past the sleeping figures of the crew and headed towards the door. He waved me over, and I swiftly followed after him as he entered into the large hallway. Once we thought we were in the clear, I asked suddenly "Where's Kanan and Ash?"

To that, Aiden shrugged and replied "I don't know. They've been gone ever since I woke up."

I nodded, a smile slipping onto my face as I quizzed "So, what's for breakfast?"

Aiden's gaze shifted to me from the corner of his eye with mild amusement. "We have a buffet set up in the diner, with all kinds of foods to choose from."

My eyes widened as we entered the lift, Aiden pressing one of the many buttons which caused the elevator to lurch and the doors to close. "Like what?" I pried.

"Anything you can think of really," he began to list as the elevator lowered. "There's hot food, cold food… whatever room temperature food is."

I marvelled in delight, the saliva in my mouth moistening my tongue as the thought of food swarmed my mind. "Sounds great to me," I grinned.

Aiden smiled, combing a hand through his scruffy black hair. "I think you'll enjoy," he chuckled. "Well, I _hope_ you'll enjoy."

With that, the elevator jolted and the doors slid open, revealing a huge mess hall filled with hundreds, maybe even thousands of different Freedom Fighters. Many gathered at long metal benches and ate their food happily with their comrades, the laughter and voices almost deafening to the ear. Some were in uniform while others remained in casual wear, and I could even see one or two who were experimentally hovering around with their jet boots.

I stood in awe at the sight, not even realising that Aiden had already exited the lift. When he realised I wasn't beside him, he came back and grasped my wrist, dragging me out of the elevator and stating jokingly "Stick with me kid, or you'll never find your way back."

Obliging to his subtle warning, I tried to stay right at his heel as he swerved through the crowd like water. I, on the other hand, was finding it difficult to keep up. At some point he had let go of my arm, leaving me to try and keep my own tag on him as he dipped in and out of view. With each passing moment it was harder to see him, and getting knocked around by the oblivious on-goers also wasn't helping.

Suddenly, someone stumbled backwards and straight into me, causing us both to fall on the hard floor with a thud. I gasped as the breath was sucked from my lungs, pinned under the stranger's heavy weight. My head was spinning slightly, and the noise was giving me a headache.

And then, a deep, rough voice barked "Oi! Get up ya lazy beast!"

The weight was suddenly pulled from my chest, and I could feel sweet oxygen flood back into my airways. A blurry figure appeared above, and the same voice asked "You right there mate?"

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my mind and concentrate on this new stranger. Two tough, yet warm hands clasped onto my shoulders and heaved me up, and the voice repeated "Hey kid, you in there?"

I groaned, rubbing my head and regaining my senses. Glancing up at the figure in front of me, I took in his features almost instantly. He had short, ink black hair that stood up straight, and a set of piercing chocolate eyes that seemed to bore deep into my soul. For a moment I almost mistook him for Aiden, but his voice was too gruff, and his skin was a shade darker than said general.

Suddenly, my world spun as I was shaken harshly by the shoulders and the stranger raised his voice "You in there kid?"

"Whoa! Yes! Yes! I'm here!" I exclaimed as I slapped the man's hands away in distraught.

The stranger chuckled apologetically, saying "Sorry, didn't mean to rattle ya."

I sighed as he pushed himself onto his feet and offered me a hand. "You'll have to forgive my squad here," he said bashfully as he pulled me up. "We just got back from a campaign in wild space last night, and they're acting a bit… _juvenile_."

Just as he spoke his last word, the tables beside us erupted into laughter and cups and plates banged against metal tables. I clamped my hands over my ears in an attempt to block out the noise, and just when the excitement was dying down a bit, a soldier with a drink in his hand jumped onto the table and cheered "Long live the Freedom Fighters!"

"HIRAAH! HIRAAH!" the table roared.

The first man chuckled, before turning back to me and stating "Now, ya don't look like a soldier mate. Who might you be?"

"My name is Ezra Bridger," I explained. "I came with General Ash and-"

"Ash?! Are you the ones that brought her back?!" he cut me off excitedly.

"Uh, yeah-"

Suddenly he howled in triumph and shook my hand violently. "So it's true! Kid, we couldn't thank ya enough. My brother hasn't been the same without her!"

I perked up, quizzing "Brother?"

"Yeah, my bro, General Aiden," he replied proudly.

"Your brother is Aiden?!" I gawked. "I was just with him earlier! You don't happen to know where he went, do you?"

He scratched his head with a hum, before saying "I think I know where he might be. Come on!"

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me through the crowd again. He was a lot rougher than Aiden, missing the calm, passive feeling his brother possessed as he lead me along with his iron grip. As I struggled to keep up I called "I didn't catch your name!"

He glanced over his shoulder and grinned, his brown eyes gleaming as he answered "The name's Daniel."

And with that we continued forward, trudging onward until he pulled me from the edge of the swarms into a small clearing. In the middle was a long metal table, people with different coloured shoulder pads holding cards in front of their face as they all took turn placing down cards and stating what they were. But now and again someone would call loud and proud "Bull!"

I tilted my head in confusion, unsure what game they were playing.

"Ezra!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

I twisted around to see Aiden running forward, slightly embarrassed as he spoke "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to lose you."

"Its fine," I assured. "Actually, I ran into your brother on the way."

"You met Daniel? Oh geez, he didn't say anything inappropriate did he?" he chuckled nervously.

I shook my head and smiled. "Nah, he was fine. He was just here a second ago-"

"BULL!" a defiant voice proclaimed.

Aiden and I both turned towards the source of the outburst in shock to see that Daniel had already joined the other figures in their game of cards. He was stood confidently with one foot leaning against the table, his cards hidden from view as he called out his rivals with ease.

"What are they playing?" I asked the general.

"Two fives-"

"Bull!" someone barked heartily.

Aiden laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he explained "It's called 'bluff'. Basically, you put down cards on the table and say what cards they are, but you can lie and say they're something else. The point is to get rid of your hand, but someone can call bull if they don't believe you. If you did lie, you have to pick up all the cards but if they're wrong, then they pick up instead."

I smirked. "Sounds fun."

"You want to play a round?" he offered.

"Uh… I don't know…"

"Come on kid!" Daniel coaxed, waving me over towards a seat beside him. "I'll teach ya the ropes!"

The others at the table, who I assumed were higher ranking soldiers, glanced over at me and called warmly "Come on kid! Give it a shot."

I thought it through for a moment longer, before shrugging and taking a seat at the table. The others cheered and gave me a new hand, Aiden sitting at my side with his own deck. "You know, Ash used to love playing this," he smiled softly. "She was the champion… but… her eyes might be a problem now…"

Placing my hand encouragingly on his shoulder, I offered optimistically "You know, she used to be pretty good at Sabacc when we gave her brail cards. Kanan told me she could read these little bumps with her fingers… I never really understood, but maybe when she comes back she'll play a round with us."

Aiden smirked, his expression lightening as he spoke warmly "She'd take you on if you challenged her, I'm sure. Who knows, maybe she'll even play a game against your master."

I scoffed. "Those two? Playing against each other in a game of cards? What a deadly combination."

He grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth. "When they get back, we could goad them into playing," he schemed deviously.

"You want _me_ to manipulate my master into battling his sister in a game of bluff?" I arched a brow inquisitively.

"Well, would you?" he laughed.

I smirked slightly, a spark igniting in my electric blue eyes.

"Count me in."

* * *

**Super Bomb #3**

_The Light in the Dark_

_Remember Me_

_Lost Chapters_

_O' Family of Ours_

_There is no Death, There is the Force_

_To Mend the Bond_

_Beasts of Legend_

**_Family Ties_**


	17. Ghosts of the Past

**Hey guys!**

**This is only a short chapter, centred on Ash dealing with the ghosts of her past. I'm sorry it's not a big one, but hopefully it will keep you going until the next super bomb! And also, I just want to thank you for being so patient. I've had a lot of family issues going on, and I honestly can't expression how much your support has meant to me.**

**So thank you, and may the force be with you, always!**

**-Superherotiger**

* * *

Kanan's POV

* * *

Ash and I had been walking for a while now, trekking through the grassy fields of Edross as the moon began to set behind us. She had been silent all morning, and she refused to tell me where we were going no matter how many times I asked. Her path was clear and each step was confident. Yet I couldn't help but sense she was a little bit on edge.

Hesitantly, I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder. "Ash."

She froze, her head snapping back to stare at me with vacant, hazy eyes. My face softened at the sight, and I gently squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "Please tell me what's wrong," I soothed. "You know I'm always here for you."

At my words she flinched. She lowered her head slowly, her inky black hair swaying hypnotically in the slight breeze.

"We're almost there, j-just over this hill, I-…" she wasn't able to finish the sentence, sealing her lips together tightly as tears pooled in the corners of her milky eyes.

"Ash," I spoke softly, brushing the stray hairs away from her face. "What is it?"

She inhaled through clenched teeth and pointed to over the small hill ahead. "Y-You go," she sputtered through a sob. "I-I'll be right behind you…"

At first I was unwilling to leave my sister, my hand still resting calmly on her shoulder. But after a moment she shrugged off my affection and grunted "Go… I'll b-be there…"

So, in not wanting to push her, I continued up the hill alone.

As I came to the crest I glanced up to see a large structure, the morning sun blazing behind it and casting the building in a dark silhouette. I squinted my eyes slightly in an attempt to see the building better, but it was no use. So, continuing forward, I followed the worn down pebble pathway, brushing my hand over the fallen, trampled fence as I walked.

This place had a sense of familiarity. It caused memories to spark somewhere in the archives of my mind and yet, I couldn't tell why.

That was, until, I took a few more paces forward, the building now sheltering me from the sun.

And with my eyes now adjusted I finally realised where we were.

It was our house! And not just any house! Our old childhood home!

Granted it was run down, abandoned and crumbling at its sides, but it was…

_Home_.

In a moment of joy I closed my eyes and soaked in the warm sensation tingling throughout my chest. It had been so many years… but I could still hear the laughter and playful calls of the past ringing in my eardrums.

Running up to the front door I rubbed the grit from the gold-plated sign and weaved my fingers around the cursive letters.

_Guardians of the Kyber_

That's what it read.

So many times as a child had I passed this sign and wondered what it meant, and still to this day I was yet to fully understand. But in reading those fine letters I was reminded of my parents…

_'__I wonder what they'd think of me now,'_ I mused to myself.

Turning slightly, my gaze became entranced on the small, rusty bicycle that lay hidden under the veranda. I quickly ran over to it, and with a smile I ran my hands over the sturdy frame, the chipping, faded paint turning to flakes under my touch. Memories flooded my senses as I thought back to one of my birthdays, Father holding his hands over my eyes as he led me outside.

_"__One. Two. Three!" _he'd exclaimed as I opened my eyes to a crimson red bike, with a leather cushioned seat and shiny silver bell.

Gently, I pulled the small lever back and released it, sending a prominent '_Ding!'_ into the air.

Laughing deeply, I yelled over my shoulder "I can't believe it's all still here! We had such great times together didn't we…." My words faded when I realised my sister was standing at the edge of the broken fence, her head hung low in shame. "Ash?"

She didn't seem to hear my words. Instead she bent down, and with wavering hands, she reached out for something cautiously.

I watched on quietly, my eyes widening when she dragged a shattered, dirty Stormtrooper helmet out from under some rubble. She held it in her tender touch, looking down at it with a blank expression. Slowly, she ran her fingers over each dent and crack, and as if each were a wound on her face, she began to cry softly, muttering "I'm sorry… I-I'm sorry…"

I turned and took a step towards her, when suddenly, in a snap of the force I felt what she felt.

Everything that I remembered of this place, its warmth, its liveliness, my most treasured memories, was _drained_ of its colour.

I stumbled back and watched as a grey, cold coating washed itself over everything in sight, the presence of something dark and sinister lurking heavily in the air. _Death_. That's all I could sense. The smell of blaster fire and blood… the screams of terror… the dozens of other Stormtrooper helmets that lay scattered in the yard. And a signature, disguised beneath a deathly frost brushed past my senses. By instinct I reached for my lightsaber, glancing around for the danger when I suddenly realised…

Slowly, I shifted my fearful gaze back to my sister, and stared as she wept on her knees, clutching the helmet tightly to her chest.

Emotions brewed around her in a vicious storm. Guilt. Anger. Shame…

The darkness… was _her_…

My expression softened, and as I strolled forward calmly, I clipped my saber back to my belt and took a deep breath. I lowered myself to my knees so I was beside the girl, and gently placed my hand on her shoulder.

Ash continued to whisper apologies to the broken helmet, her tears falling heavily onto the weakened metal.

I didn't speak, simply acting as her support in her time of need.

And after a few tense moments, she leant into my touch, her cries slowly fading into the gentle breeze.

"Caleb," she murmured hoarsely.

"Yes Ash?"

She hesitated, before whimpering "I-I don't think I can go in there…"

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and rested my head against hers, asking "Why not?"

The wind rustled her hair as her grip on the helmet loosened, allowing it to fall onto the dry dirt with a thud. "They're still here…" she answered, gritting her teeth. "They're still angry…"

"Who Ash?" I pried curiously.

"The troopers…" she whispered meekly, tears still sliding down her cheeks. "The ones I… the ones I _killed_… all those years ago…"

I exhaled deeply, remembering the time she'd told me of the event. She'd been so fragile… so ashamed. Soothingly, I tried to reassure her through the force, my signature being a light in the thick veil of shadows.

"Ash," I started warmly. "That was so many years ago… and… you were only a child. You shouldn't keep blaming yourself."

"If you knew what I did…" she sniffled, her voice cracking. "If you saw w-what I'd done… you'd never forgive me…"

I took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face me, staring deep into her empty, silver eyes. "You need to forgive _yourself_, first…"

She pressed her mouth into a thin line, before asking shakily "H-How?"

Smiling, I pulled her close and encased her in my secure embrace. She returned the action without hesitation, her body lurching as silent sobs escaped her lips.

"You let go, Ash…" I whispered encouragingly. "You _let go…_"

And gradually, as she remained sheltered in my touch, the darkness loosened its hold on her heart. I felt the sickly cold recoiling through the force, replaced only with our caring warmth.

When I glanced up again, I was relieved to see that a healthy glow had returned to the yard. A faint trail of death still lingered on the ground, but you could hardly sense it under the memories of childhood. What Ash remembered of trauma, I remembered laughter, and sunshine. I'd never be able to wipe her past clean, but I could make the future brighter.

We stayed like that for a long time.

Me, watching the breeze thread through the blades of grass, while Ash, who had by now calmed down, stayed wrapped in my touch calmly.

"Ash?" I asked after a moment.

"Yeah?" she replied hoarsely.

"Why… why did you bring me here?" I spoke curiously.

And suddenly, as if she'd snapped back into action, she jumped to her feet and dragged me up with her. She began pacing towards the front door, hesitating for a moment, before placing her hand over the sign.

"Ever wonder what _'Guardians of the Kyber'_ meant?" she arched her brow, glancing over at me.

"Yes, for years actually," I answered.

"Well," she started, pushing the rusty door open with her hand. "You're about to find out."

* * *

**Super Bomb #4**

_The Light in the Dark_

_Remember Me_

_Lost Chapters_

_O' Family of Ours_

_There is no Death, There is the Force_

_To Mend the Bond_

_Beasts of Legend_

**_Family Ties_**


End file.
